India has rapidly risen to become the fastest growing market for exports of Italian textile machinery in 2025 so far, with volumes almost neck and neck with deliveries to China in the first six months of this year.

Figures presented by ACIMIT, Italy’s textile trade association, at a press conference during last week’s ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition in Singapore, reveal some notable changes from 2024, indicative of a market in something of a state of flux.

In the first six months of the year, Italian textile machinery exports worth €78 million went to India, up 51% on those in the same period of 2024.

In 2024, Italy’s overall exports to India had a value of €132 million and were 14% lower in value than those shipped in 2023.

By contrast, exports to China in 2025 to date, with a value of €78 million, were down 51% on the same period in 2024. China was by far the biggest market for ACIMIT members in 2024, with its annual exports worth €206 million.

Other growth markets for Italy’s machine builders this year to date are Pakistan, with sales of €33 million up 41%, Vietnam with sales of €14 million up 22%, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where sales climbed to €6 million, up 25%.

Turkey in trouble

Meanwhile, Turkey, which was the third biggest buyer of Italian textile machines in 2024 with sales worth €132 million, does not even appear in ACIMIT’s top ten markets for the first six months of 2025.

Turkey’s textile and garment industry, long the backbone of its manufacturing economy, is currently grappling with one of its toughest periods in decades.

The sector has shed about 350,000 jobs and lost nearly $8 billion in export revenues over the past three years according to the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB) as soaring costs, currency instability and waning European demand erode its global competitiveness. What has for many years been a powerhouse of affordable, high-quality production is fast becoming a victim to shifting trade dynamics and economic pressures.

Regional showcase

Over 100 Italian machine builders took part in ITMA ASIA + CITME Singapore 2025, as the most important showcase for textile machinery manufacturers in Asia – a region accounting for half of all global exports with a market worth €8.8 billion in 2024.

“Despite geopolitical uncertainties, the strong Italian presence in Singapore underlines the dynamism of our textile machinery industry,” said ACIMIT president Marco Salvadè. “Italian manufacturers are behind a comprehensive range of advanced solutions covering the entire textile value chain and continue to blend deep-rooted textile expertise with forward-looking innovation.”

www.acimit.it