Ceramic machinery sector reports positive first quarter

The Italian ceramic machinery manufacturers' first-quarter performance has brought a breath of optimism for the industry. Acimac Studies Centre observed an overall increase in companies' revenues in the first three months of the year, largely due to a recovery in exports which account for more than 75% of the sector's total turnover.

The most dynamic markets appear to be the Maghreb region, the Arabian peninsula and the rest of the Middle East, along with Brazil and other South American countries.

"Last week at Ceramics China (the most important Asian fair for supplies to the ceramic industry, held in Guangzhou from 18 to 21 May), we observed buoyant demand not only in China but in all the large producer countries in Asia," added Acimac Chairman Pietro Cassani . "The large numbers of visitors who converged on the approximately 1,000 square metre Italian pavilion showed keen interest in the latest technological innovations as well as an appreciation of the quality, reliability and high degree of automation of our machines."

However it is still too early to talk of a long-term recovery. "Although the results that have emerged from our study are certainly positive, particularly following a year of severe contraction, they are still insufficient to allow us to say with certainty that the crisis is over," warned Cassani.

"The increases reported in the last few months may in fact be attributable to a rise in orders for renewal or replacement of plant components or consumables, as is only natural after twelve months of stagnation," he continued .

"In the next quarter our companies are expecting to see a situation of stability in key markets rather than the much-awaited recovery in large-scale industrial investments."