ACIMIT Reports Slight Decline In Textile Machinery Orders In Q2 2025
The index of orders for textile machinery, compiled by ACIMIT, recorded a marginal decline of 1% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The index stood at 47.1 points (base year 2021 = 100).
This overall dip was largely offset by strong domestic demand. Orders from the Italian market surged by 38%, reaching 70.9 points, while foreign orders dropped 7%, settling at 43.8 points.
The order backlog improved slightly, rising to 3.9 months of guaranteed production, compared to 3.6 months in Q1. However, average production capacity utilization in the first half of the year was just 55%, with expectations to rise to 60% in the second half of 2025.
Marco Salvadè, President of ACIMIT noted, “Domestic market signals are encouraging, but the overall demand remains fragile. Sustained growth over the rest of the year will be crucial.”
On international markets, Salvadè pointed to ongoing uncertainty, particularly due to new U.S. tariffs on EU products, a 15% duty, and euro-dollar exchange fluctuations, all of which could impact Italian exports to the U.S., a market that ranked fourth in 2024 with exports exceeding €112 million and continued 3% growth in early 2025.
Meanwhile, demand in China and Turkey remains weak. Italian textile machinery exports between January and April 2025 fell by 32% in China and 47% in Turkey, underscoring ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges.
