Milan – Order intake for Italian textile machinery manufacturers fell by 5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting continued caution in capital investment across global textile and knitting sectors, according to ACIMIT.
The decline was driven primarily by weaker demand in export markets, where orders dropped by 7% compared with the same period in 2025. By contrast, the domestic market recorded a 21% increase, offering a limited but notable counterbalance for Italian machinery builders.
Compared with the previous quarter (October–December 2025), total order intake rose by 18%, indicating some short-term recovery in purchasing activity. However, overall volumes remain subdued, with the orders index reaching 37.3 points (base year 2021=100), underlining the gap to pre-slowdown levels.
Within this, the domestic index stood at 35.3 points, while foreign markets reached 37.6 points. The relatively close values suggest that, despite differing short-term trends, both markets continue to operate below historical averages.
For knitting and hosiery machinery manufacturers, the data reflects a broader hesitation among mills to commit to large-scale investments in new circular, flat, and warp knitting technologies. This is particularly evident in export-oriented segments such as sportswear, technical textiles, and seamless garments, where demand visibility remains limited.
At the same time, the reported order backlog of approximately 4.5 months provides a degree of operational stability for machinery producers, allowing ongoing production scheduling despite lower intake levels.
Looking ahead, expectations for the second quarter of 2026 point to continued uncertainty. Forecasts suggest pessimism in the domestic market following its Q1 rebound, while foreign demand is expected to remain broadly stable rather than recover significantly.
Marco Salvadè, President of ACIMIT, said the domestic improvement was a positive sign but warned of persistent structural challenges. “It is encouraging to see the first positive sign in the domestic market, but forecasts still reveal a degree of pessimism,” he stated, citing a difficult international environment and slow institutional action as constraints on investment planning.
Salvadè added that ACIMIT is working with the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) to strengthen promotional activities in key markets, with a focus on supporting export recovery for high-value machinery, including advanced knitting systems.
The association also pointed to ITMA 2027 in Hannover as a potential catalyst for renewed investment, particularly in areas such as digitalised knitting, energy-efficient machines, and flexible production technologies.
