The 2016 forecasts for the Italian ceramic tile industry

The Confindustria Ceramica Annual Meeting also provided an opportunity to unveil the forecasts for the Italian ceramic tile industry over the two-year period 2016-2017.

According to the Forecasting Report published by Prometeia, 2016 may see further consolidation of the growth reported in 2015, with domestic sales at last returning to positive territory (+2.7%) and exports showing a further increase (+3.6%), largely due to demand from the NAFTA countries, the Far East, the Gulf states and the Balkans. Domestic output is also expected to grow by 3.8%.

However, these forecasts may be undermined by international tensions including the weakening of the dollar, higher oil prices, a slowdown in global GDP and the announced rise in US interest rates.

The Italian tile industry is also facing other pressing issues, noted Confindustria Ceramica chairman Vittorio Borelli. “The key item on our international agenda is the anti-dumping action taken against Chinese imports to Europe, so we warmly welcomed the recent unanimous vote by the European Parliament against granting MES to China. We must now remain vigilant while awaiting the European Union’s final decision, which is expected by the end of the year.”

Another key issue mentioned by the Association’s chairman is that of energy costs, with action needing to be taken rapidly to unlock the tax relief already approved for energy-intensive companies. Borelli also discussed the theme of cogeneration, a key technology that has clear environmental competitive benefits but which unfortunately has been adversely affected by confused regulatory action. This is creating serious difficulties for plants already in operation and is freezing future investments.