The Italian production of woodworking machinery and tools - accounting for a total of 1.540 million euro - shrank by 3,7% in 2005, as compared to the previous year, according to the Acimall Annual Report, published by the Studies & Promotion Office.
The final result was heavily affected by the negative trend of exports, that - accounting for 80% of total production - dropped by 5,0%, down to 1.262 million euro. On the other hand, after a few years of decline, the domestic market proved to be livelier. As a matter of fact, the domestic sales of the Italian industry increased by 3,0% in the year under scrutiny, for a total amount of 278 million euro.
New investments in instrumental goods helped imports too, that recorded a 8,6% increase with 148 million euro. However, taking a closer look at this result, it emerges that Italy is just a transit market for a relevant share of the total amount, as the goods are shipped to third markets. The apparent consumption of the Italian market amounted to 426 million euro, representing a
5,2% increase on the previous year, with a 34,7% import share.
Considering Istat, the Italian statistic institute, figures only, which do not include tools, the trade balance of the industry was 1.114 million euro, a remarkable result though with a 6,6% decrease on the result of 2004. According to estimates, the Italian industry of woodworking machinery includes approximately 300 significant companies (purely trading companies are not considered), with some 12.000 people employed. As to the geographical distribution of the industry, the localization of the companies matches - with few exceptions
– the concentration of the furniture industry, the largest manufacturing districts being in Lombardy,
Emilia-Romagna and Veneto.
The Italian woodworking machinery industry (var %, 05/04)
Production*: 1.540 million euro (-3,7)
Export**: 1.262 million euro (-5,0)
Import: 148 million euro (+8,6)
Trade balance: 1.114 million euro (-6,6)
Apparent consumption: 426 million euro (+5,2)
Export/production: 81,9%
Import/apparent consumption: 34,7%
*Tools included
** ISTAT data plus tools from Acimall survey
Foreign trade
The data refer to all stationary (i.e. non-portable) woodworking machinery, including spare parts.
Portable machines are not considered, as the international classification does not include a separate category for portable equipment for woodworking, which is listed in a general category including all portable machines for the processing of wood, metal, marble… The same applies for tools, which are also not included in the analysis.
In addition, it should be noted that Istat data, just like the figures provided by other national statistics institutes, refer to all goods crossing the national borders both ways. Therefore, they cannot quantify trade with absolute accuracy, as figures might be influenced by possible “triangulation”, involving brokers who use the country for transit only.
In 2004, the Istat data concerning the woodworking machinery industry showed an export value of 1.211 million euro (-5,0% vs. 2004) and import worth 148 million euro (+8,6% vs. 2004).
Export by geographical area (.pdf, 81 kb)
Europe
Recovery in the European Union, started in 2004 after two years of recession, stopped in 2005. Export towards the most important area for Italian production went back by 5,5% stopping at a total of 517 million euro. The share of this region on total Italian export was therefore substantially unchanged: 42,7%, against 42,3% in the previous year.
Despite a very negative trend with 9,7% shrinkage, for a total of 118 million euro, Spain remained the major destination market for Italian export also in 2005, followed by the United States and France, whereby the latter recorded a positive trend (86 million euro, +1,9%). Among other EU countries with negative results, there were Germany (72,7 million, -2,0%), United Kingdom (61 million, -4,8%), Belgium (34 million, -13,1%), Portugal (20,3 million, -23,4%) and Greece (20,2 million, -15,1%), while others had positive variations: besides France, these include Austria (18,6 million, +11,5%) and the Netherlands (19,8 million, +8,2%).
Towards other European countries - for consistency with historical figures, we will include in this region also the countries that have recently joined the EU - Italian export recorded a positive result on the whole, increasing by 2,0% to reach a total value of 305 million euro, equal to 25,2% of the total.
Within the region, the trend was not uniform. The positive figures achieved by Poland (38,6 million, +34,5%), Turkey (38,5 million, +18,1%), Switzerland (21,4 million, +14,9%), Czech Republic (18,6 million, +14,2%) and Ukraine (11,4 million, +39,5%), were opposed to the negative trend in Russia (52,3 million, -9,8%), Romania (35,9 million, -5,5%), Hungary (9,4 million, -18,0%), Serbia-Montenegro (5,9 million, -24,0%) and Belarus (4,9 million, -49,0%).
Africa
The African continent as a whole purchased woodworking machinery and plants from Italy for a total value of 50,3 million euro, 3,0% more than the previous year. At the two
opposite ends of the continent, South Africa and Algeria were the major destinations with 11,7 (+23,9%) and 10,0 (+25,9%) million euro, respectively. Among the other countries,
we point out the growth of Libya (5,5 million, +12,7%) and Nigeria (1,7 million, +45,5%), while reduction affected Morocco (3,7 million, -38,9%), Tunisia (3,6 million, -46,9%)
and Egypt (2,8 million, -28,7%). The share of Africa on total Italian export was equal to 4,2%.
North America
Woodworking machinery export to the Nafta region suffered from further shrinkage by 1,7%. The negative performance of the United States (115 million euro, -5,4%) was compensated for by the good results of Canada (30 million, +14,5%), while Mexico was basically stable (12,7 million, +0,6%).
The share of this area on total export amounted to 13,1%.
Central and South America
After four years of recession, the whole Central and South
American region scored a positive result in 2005. Italian
export to Latin America increased by 17,9%, reaching a
total of 34,7 million, representing a 2,9% share of this region
on total export. Brazil, the only market of some relevance
waiting for the recovery of Argentina, purchased machinery
and plants for 18,5 million euro, 2,9% more than the previous
year. Still struggling to overcome the financial crisis of
2003, Argentina recorded clear expansion, 118% more than
in 2004, leading Italian export to a value of 5,2 million
euro. Among the other markets, we underline the result of
Colombia, up by 43,6% to a total of 2,4 million euro.
Asia
Clear shrinkage affected Italian export to the Far East. During 2005, the Asian countries, except the Middle East and those belonging to the former Soviet Union, analyzed separately in this report, purchased 32,7% less from Italy as compared to 2004. Significant reduction was recorded in export to China and Hong Kong, equal to 45,8% for a total of 24,8 million euro.
Falling back also Japan (4,3 million, -41,9%), South Korea (4,6 million, -18,1%) and all of South East Asia except Vietnam. While export to Vietnam increased by 16,3% (2,4 million), the purchase of Italian technology in Malaysia (7,1 million), Thailand (6,7 million) and
Indonesia (3,9 million) went down by 20,5, 39,0 and 54,2%, respectively.
On the opposite, positive results were recorded by export to India, worth 8,6 million in total with a 63,4% increase.
As a result, the share of the Far East on total export from Italy decreased to 5,8%, against 8,3% in the previous year.
As for the Middle East, after three years of sustained growth, in 2005 export towards this region fell to 42,7 million euro, 19% less than in 2004. This shrinkage is the result of negative performance in the United Arab Emirates (9,6 million euro, -29,4%)
and Iran (8,3 million, -44,3%), while a positive trend was recorded in Saudi Arabia (8,1 million, +25,0%), Israel (4,6 million, +72,8%) and Lebanon (3,8 million, +11,1%). On the whole, the share of the Middle East was equal to 3,5% of the total Italian export.
Oceania
The value of Italian export to Oceania was basically unchanged as compared to the previous year. With 31,9 million euro and 0,1% growth, the region absorbed 2,6% of Italian export. The largest market, Australia, had a limited expansion by 0,4% (26,9 million), while export to New Zealand increased by 1,9%, up to 4,8 million euro.
Export by machinery type (.pdf, 75 kb)
Imports
In 2005, Italy imported woodworking machinery and plants for a total value of 148 million euro, 8,6% more than the previous year.
With 72,5 million and 14,1% increase as compared to 2004, Germany was the leading supplier to Italy as during the previous years, with a 48,6% share on total import.
Significant results were achieved by import from France (8,6 million, +79,4%), Austria (7,4 million, -37,5%) Switzerland (6,9 million, -39,5%), Czech Republic (3,6 million, +28,5%) and Spain (3,9 million, +37,8%), as relates to Europe.
Moving to Asia, import continued to grow at very high rate from Taiwan (4,2 million) and China (12,0 million), up by 42,5% and 50,0% respectively, probably also due to the sub-supplies to Italian manufacturers of woodworking machinery.
Imports: Major supplier countries (.pdf, 93 kb)
Import by machinery type (.pdf, 75 kb)
World trade
Acimall’s annual report includes an export analysis of leading world manufacturers.
Together with figures for Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Japan and the United
States, starting from last year the People’s Republic of China is also included, since its share is getting larger and larger also in the woodworking machinery industry.
The analysis was carried out basing on the data supplied by the national statistic institutes of the six countries and includes all fixed woodworking machines. Tools and portable machines are excluded. The analysis highlights that, despite the rise of the new Chinese actor, the only two international competitors are still Italy and Germany, while the remaining manufacturing countries address their exports largely towards their own continent.
Values are expressed in euro; exchange rates refer to the year under scrutiny.
Euro exchange rates
China: 1 cny - 0,098
Japan: 1 yen - 0,007
Taiwan: 1 twd dollar - 0,025
U.S.A.: 1 us dollar - 0,804
Export general summary and main export countries (.pdf, 284 kb)
Custom codes – NC Classification (.pdf, 52 kb)
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