Italy: 12th Annual National Statistical Survey of the Italian Ceramic Plant and Machinery Industry

摘要

Two months before the opening of Tecnargilla in Rimini on 1 October, where the majority of Italian manufacturers of ceramic machinery and equipment will gather, ACIMAC (association of Italian machinery and equipment manufacturers for ceramics) has presented the figures for the Italian ceramic machinery industry's performance in 2003 that emerged from the associations 12th Annual Statistical Survey. After closures, setting up of new companies, mergers and takeovers, the number of Italian ceramic machinery manufacturers operating in 2003 totalled 173 (the same number as in 2002). The statistical survey confirmed the negative forecasts made in December 2003. At 1402.4 billion euros, the sector's 2003 turnover was down 50 million euros or 3.4 percent on the 2002 result. The cause of the sector's fresh downturn was the sharp fall in sales of ceramic machinery in the Italian market, down from 484 to 428.5 million euros (-11.5 percent). Exports (Table l,Fig. 1) remained substantially stable at 2002 levels, rising from 968.5 to 974 million euros (+0.6 percent). The export percentage therefore increased from 66.7 percent to 69.4 percent.