Order intake for Italian textile machinery manufacturers in the first quarter of 2026 slipped 5% as against the first three months of the previous year, which indicates a still challenging start to the year.
While export sales declined 7% year on year, those to the domestic market surged 21% in the January to March 2026 period.
However, when compared with the October to December 2025 period, total order intake increased by 18%.
According to Italian textile machinery association ACIMIT, the orders index for the January–March 2026 period stood at 37.3 points (base year 2021=100). In Italy, the index reached 35.3 points, while in foreign markets it stood at 37.6 points.
“In the first quarter of 2026, the order backlog guaranteed a workload of approximately 4.5 months,” ACIMIT added.
From a sector perspective, weaving and other manufacturing segments showed relatively more dynamic signals.
Forecasts for the second quarter of 2026 compared with the first quarter indicate pessimism for the domestic market and stability for the foreign one.
“It is encouraging to see the first positive sign in the domestic market, but forecasts still reveal a degree of pessimism. The difficult international context and the slow actions of government institutional representatives do not allow companies to plan investments,” Marco Salvadè, President of ACIMIT, said.
“As an association, we are working in close synergy with the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) to strengthen promotional activities across several strategic markets. We also look with confidence to the upcoming ITMA 2027 in Hannover, which will represent an important opportunity to stimulate new investments, and strengthen the international presence of Italian manufacturers,” Salvade added.
