According to ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), the January-March 2019 order index for Italian textile machinery decreased by 3% compared to the same quarter of 2018.
Overseas orders fell 11%, while domestic orders climbed 84%.
According to ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi, the domestic market is experiencing a dynamic showing similar to late 2017. Investments in the textile sector have benefitted from the push towards a greater degree of digitalization in production processes, thanks to fiscal incentives. In regard to foreign markets, the slowdown is a result of a deep-rooted feeling of uncertainty currently permeating the global economy, with multiple pressures on global trade in different geographical areas.
“We had already predicted a slowdown for early 2019, in line with what was observed in 2018,” concludes Zucchi. “The entire sector is waiting to see what happens at ITMA in Barcelona from June 20th to 26th. There will verify whether a recovery is effectively under way in global demand for textile machinery.”
