Foreign competition is continuing to squeeze the Italian woodworking manufacturing industry, which suffered a 14.7% drop in orders for the third quarter compared with a year ago.
Acimall, the Italian woodworking machinery and tools manufacturers’ association, said the market had shrunk further despite the slight recovery at the end of 2002. President Luciano Costa said the industry needed to come to terms with a “thoroughly new international scenario”.
He said competition was coming from Chinese, Taiwanese, Czech and Turkish manufacturers, who were offering keen prices and had the advantage of low labour rates. But Mr Costa thought further investment in innovation would safeguard the technical advantages enjoyed by Italian manufacturers.
Acimall’s quarterly survey reveals a 0.8% price increase between January and September, with an average period of assured production of around 2.1 months. It also shows 64% of respondents report a falling production trend, while 30% say it is stationary.
