Confindustria Ceramica

The CEO of the Italcer Group and Vice Chairman of Confindustria Ceramica will lead the European Ceramic Federation (CET) until 2027.

Outgoing chairman Giovanni Savorani: “The import duties adopted in Europe are entirely insufficient to counter unfair competition.”

Ciarrocchi has been nominated as chairman-designate by the association’s Board of Directors and will be elected during the Annual Members’ Meeting to be held on 12 June

More than 100 Italian brands are participating in North America’s preeminent ceramic tile and natural stone exhibition in Atlanta.

Total tile sales fell to 362 million sqm (down 19.3% from 2022) and production dropped by 90 million sqm.

Along with the results for the ceramic tile sector, Confindustria Ceramica also presented the 2022 results for Italian producers of sanitaryware, tableware, refractory materials and heavyclay bricks.

Italy’s tile industry hit record revenues of 7.2 billion euros in 2022 (up 16.5% on 2021), with sales volumes of 449 million sqm (down 1.4%). Momentum slows in first quarter of 2023, with 25% drop in export volumes.

The Confindustria Ceramica chairman Giovanni Savorani analyses the sector’s mood and state of health. Read the interview.

Total sales are estimated at 458 million square metres in 2022 (up 0.7% on 2021), but the industry’s competitiveness continues to be hindered by spiralling energy costs.

According to figures published in the Confindustria Ceramica national statistical survey the brick and tile output grew to 4.46 million tonnes, marking a return to 2019 levels.

The Italian whiteware, brick and refractory industries also saw a recovery in 2021.

The Italian ceramic industry has posted exceptional 2021 results, including a 21% year-on-year increase in total revenues to €7.5 billion. As always, the lion’s share went to the tile sector, which registered sales of almost €6.2 billion (+20% on 2020 and +15.4% on 2019), including €5.2 billion earned from exports.

On 23 June, Confindustria Ceramica and BKRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost German clay supplies to the Italian ceramic industry.

From the uncertainties surrounding gas availability and prices to the race to replace Ukrainian raw materials. The Italian ceramic tile industry is facing the challenge of rising costs against the backdrop of a very buoyant market.

According to preliminary figures published by Confindustria Ceramica and Prometeia, total sales reached 458 million sqm, up 12% on the pre-Covid year 2019. Exports climbed by 15% against 2020 and by 13% with respect to 2019, while Italian domestic sales returned to growth after 20 years (+9% compared to 2019).

Energy bills, that have more than tripled since the beginning of the year, are wiping out the effects of the economic recovery. The risk for some companies is to be forced to reduce production in the coming months

Confindustria Ceramica announces the final figures for 2019 and makes an initial assessment of the impact of the health emergency on the tile industry

The Italian ceramic industry, considered a sector of “strategic importance as it is strongly export-oriented” has been given the go-ahead to resume production activities as of 27 April.

Confindustria Ceramica and the trade unions have already signed a protocol to guarantee the resumption of ceramic production in complete safety. Industrialists call for factories to be reopened as soon as possible.

Giovanni Savorani, Chairman of Confindustria Ceramica, sounds the alarm: “We are extremely concerned because the decisions taken by the Italian government to prevent the spread of the virus are harming the competitiveness of the sector.”