The October-December 2019 orders index for textile machinery, as compiled by the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT), showed an 8% drop compared to the same quarter of 2018. The index value stood at 92.9 points (basis: 2015 = 100).
Orders compiled by Italian machinery manufacturers were in negative figures for both overseas and domestic markets. An 8% slide was recorded abroad, with the absolute value of the index standing at 89.4 points. Meanwhile, the drop in order collection for the domestic market stood at 7%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2018. The absolute value of the index stood at 138.1 points.
After a difficult year, the Italian textile machinery sector is looking to 2020 with some degree of concern. ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi says, “For the current year, there are many unknown factors both at economic and political levels, which do not appear in the short term to point to a recovery in demand for textile machinery in major markets; namely, China, Turkey and India. Our machinery manufacturers need to be ready to seize opportunities that originate from the request for sustainability and digitalization of production processes.”
