TCF POST Desk
MILAN — The Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) has released its order index for the second quarter of 2026, painting a picture of a sector caught between weak domestic demand and a strong quarter-on-quarter recovery abroad.
Key Figures
- Order Index: 46.6 points (base year 2021 = 100), down 3% year-on-year in constant-price terms.
- First-Half 2026: Total orders fell 4% compared to H1 2025, with Italy down 11% and foreign markets down 3%.
- Quarter-on-Quarter Rebound: Total order intake jumped 25% from Q1 to Q2 2026, driven by gains of 39% domestically and 23% internationally.
- Production Backlog: Roughly 3.5 months of guaranteed output, with capacity utilization at 79.7%.
Foreign Markets Hold Steady, Italy Feels the Squeeze
Foreign orders, which make up about 80% of total intake, posted modest but positive year-on-year growth, with particular strength in weaving, knitting, and finishing machinery.
Domestic orders, by contrast, dropped 25% year-on-year — a decline ACIMIT attributes largely to a tough comparison against a strong Q2 2025, along with the slow rollout of Italy’s new 2026–2028 hyper-depreciation incentive, introduced in June, whose effects on investment have yet to show up in the data. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, however, domestic orders held up or improved across several segments, with spinning and weaving posting the sharpest gains.
ACIMIT President Marco Salvadè struck a cautiously upbeat tone on the international side: “Despite the international uncertainty, it is comforting that the indicator, albeit slightly, is positive in the foreign market, given that about 80% of our order intake comes from international countries.” On the domestic slowdown, he noted that the market “suffers both from comparison with a positive second quarter of 2025 and from the new 2026-2028 hyper-depreciation incentive launched in June, whose effects are not yet visible in terms of investments.”
Outlook for Q3 2026
Manufacturers expect order volumes to hold roughly steady in the third quarter. Sentiment at home remains cautious, while views on foreign demand are split evenly between expectations of growth and contraction — a picture of measured, watchful optimism among Italy’s textile machinery exporters.