ITMA ASIA+CITME, Asia’s foremost textile machinery trade fair, is all set to kick off in Shanghai on November 19th, and Italian technology will once again be on full display, showcasing innovative, sustainable solutions.

A total of 59 Italian machinery manufacturers will be exhibiting at the upcoming ITMA ASIA+CITME 2022, to be held from November 19 to 23 in Shanghai, as the event had been postponed for a year in the wake of the Covid19 pandemic. Of these 59 manufacturers, 26 will be presenting technological innovations as part of the National Sector Groups, organized by ACIMIT and ITA – Italian Trade Agency. Occupying a surface area of around 2,000 square meters, Italy is among the major foreign exhibiting Countries at the event, as has been the case for previous editions as well.

Asia is a major destination for Italy’s textile machinery manufacturers, with fully 38% of all Italian textile machinery exports during the first half of 2023 (amounting to roughly 338 million euros) directed towards Asian markets. China, in particular, is an absolutely important market for Italian companies: the first in Asia and the second worldwide behind Turkey in 2022. In the first six months of this year, Italian machinery sold in China reached a value of 81 million Euro.

“The general outlook for the Chinese market remains positive, although the demand for foreign machinery from local textile manufacturers has slowed somewhat for this first half of the year,” comments ACIMIT president Marco Salvadè. “Investments in the textile industry have never stopped, so there is no shortage of opportunities in China. I believe ITMA ASIA + CITME will confirm our expectations for a recovery in demand.”

Indeed, the demand for machinery in China is centered mainly on technologies capable of combining savings in production costs with solutions aimed at respecting the environment. “My belief is that to increase competitiveness at a global level, China’s textile manufacturers – just like those of other Countries – need to focus on the digitalization of production processes, as well as on sustainable technology solutions. In this regard, Italian technology can certainly satisfy these needs, proposing innovative processes designed to enhance sustainability and digitalization, something which visitors at the fair will be able to see for themselves,” Salvadè concludes.

For his part, Augusto Di Giacinto, Italian Trade Commissioner in Shanghai, states that, “ITMA ASIA + CITME has returned to Shanghai after two years, with a full reopening of the Chinese market, a significant statement that marks a reprise for the entire sector. In fact, ITMA ASIA + CITME continues to be one of the most important events for Italian textile machinery sector, one highly awaited event also for Chinese operators increasingly sensitive to quality, innovation and the ability of Made in Italy to combine technologies that can bring together cost savings with product sustainability. And we need to keep in mind that over 40% of all Italian exports to Cina is made up of capital goods and innovative technologies that are especially appreciated by Chinese product manufacturers.”