24th edition of Milano Unica

According to Sistema Moda Italia projections Made-in-Italy fabrics (including wool, cotton, linen, silk fabrics and knits) are expected to close 2016 with a slight decrease compared to the levels recorded in 2015. To date, projections estimate a -0.6% reduction with total sales amounting to euro 7.86 billion. The result reflects the slack performance of the international markets (-2%), while the Italian market, mainly focused on exports, devoted attention to Made-in-Italy products, to the detriment of overseas supplies (-2.5%).

Given the aforesaid trade performance, the trade balance for the industry results in euro 2,262 million. The surplus in textiles makes for 24.8% of the total sales generated in the Textiles-Fashion segment, making for 15% of total sales. In the same January-October 2016 span, exports  of worsted wool fabrics grew by +6.6% %, while combed wool fabrics recorded +0.3%. Exports of linen fabrics posted an increase equal to +6.3%. After the significant losses recorded in the past 4 years, cotton fabrics decreased by -1.6%. Similarly to 2015, knits were down -4.8%, while silk fabrics fell by -6.9%.  

In the period imports showed increases only for worsted and combed wool fabrics , up +4.5% and +9%, respectively. Cotton and linen fabrics, though at distinctly different levels, both showed a negative sign at -3.9%. Imports of knitwear were down -5.1%, while pure silk dropped by -10%. In the first ten months of 2016, the China (+2.8%) and Hong Kong region became the top market for Made-in-Italy textiles, while the German market, though still ranking first for Italian textile exports and after showing a rather heavy reduction last year (-8.9%), dropped again, by -3.7%. France, the third largest market, limited the downtrend to -1.2%. Conversely, other leading destinations show a positive trend, like Romania, up +2.1% and Tunisia +2.0%. Scrolling the list of the top markets, another group of countries were characterized by a negative performance: the US market, after the double-digit growth posted in 2015, dropped by -14.6%; Turkey by -4.0% and Spain by -1.3%. Though at a slower pace, exports to the following countries rose: Portugal (+1.0%), Japan (+0.9%), United Kingdom (+1.5%) and South Korea (+19.5%).

Considering the analysis of the markets of origin of textiles imported to Italy, characterized by a high concentration from a geographic perspective in the extra-EU area (66.9%), it becomes evident that China and Turkey are drawing closer and closer, and are now at  24.9% and 21.1%, respectively. It should be noted that in January-October 2010 China represented 39.9% of the semi-finished products included in the analysis, while Turkey was at 12.4%.  In the period analyzed, however, both countries posted a downtrend: China was down by -8.7% and Turkey by -1.7%. Last but not least, based on a sample survey carried out by SMI, in the last year reductions in employment and in the number of businesses in operation have almost come to a halt, while in the 2010/2014 period there were more than 5,700 redundancies (-16.7%) and 320 businesses shut down (-14.2%). 

The results obtained in terms of steady sales and positive performance of the trade balance in the 2010/2016 period are attributable to the increased internationalization of Italian businesses. Certainly, there is still much to be done, also in relation to raising the positioning towards the upper end of the market, and the compensatory effect deriving from the compound textiles mix that Made in Italy production offers to meet the needs of the fashion industry. 

 

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