The Italian woodworking technology industry achieved “stability” in the third quarter with a 5.8% growth in machinery and tools orders, according to ACIMALL.
Acimall (the Italian woodworking machinery and tools manufacturers’ association) said orders from abroad increased 13.2% compared to a year ago, while the Italian domestic market suffered a 3.2% shrinkage.
An Acimall survey revealed that 62% of members thought production was stable.
“The forecast survey showed some short-term trends: while there is some optimism about foreign markets, there are very few signals of positive developments in Italy,” Acimall said.
It said Italian companies were facing three critical elements: a very uncertain economic environment scenario, low investment by Italian customers and tough competition on the global markets, as well as the lack of credit to fund R&D.
