The Italian sanitaryware, tableware and refractory materials industry

Just like the tile industry, the Italian ceramic sanitaryware, tableware and refractory materials sectors relied strongly on exports for their revenues in 2011. In the domestic market, sanitaryware and tableware experienced further falls in turnover (-11.9% and -0.5%, respectively), whereas sales of refractory materials rose by 13.1%.

The ceramic sanitaryware industry, located principally in the Civita Castellana area (province of Viterbo), lost 2 production facilities in 2011 and now counts 41 companies with 4,196 employees (4.2% down on 2010). Production dropped to 4.6 million pieces (-5.6%) and sales to 4.48 million pieces (-4.5%), of which 2.24 million pieces were sold in Italy (-12.3%) and a similar quantity abroad (+4.8%).The sharp fall in Italian turnover (159.7 million euro compared to 181.3 million euro in 2010) was offset by a 4.1% increase in export turnover, which reached 218 million euro.

The ceramic tableware sector, made up of 12 industrial-level companies, reported a series of positive figures. Production rose (15,400 tons of finished products, +11.1%), as did turnover (68.5 million euro, +0.6%), of which 52.8 million euro was generated by domestic Italian sales (-0.5%) and 15.7 million euro by exports (+4.56%).

By contrast, the refractory materials sector (37 companies and 2,229 employees) chalked up a very positive performance in the domestic market with a turnover of 290 million euro, 13.1% up on 2010. Exports also performed strongly, accounting for 159.1 million euro (+4.1%). Total production amounted to 507,500 tons (compared to 502,100 tons in 2010).