Machine tools: recovery abroad, italian market still weak…

Positive sign for the index of the Italian machine tool orders that, in the fourth quarter of 2010, shows an increase of 45 percent over the same period in 2009. Extended, therefore, the growth trend started in early 2010 with an absolute value of the index, equal to 108.6, again higher than the base year (2005=100). Figures prepared by Ucimu-Sistemi per Produrre are showing, however, a clear discrepancy between the collection of orders on the domestic market and the foreign market.
In fact, while the index of orders on the foreign market is growing 80,7 percent, compared to the fourth quarter of 2009, for an absolute value of 120.9, the index of orders received by manufacturers in the domestic market had fallen 8,3 percent, for an absolute value equal to 75.5, the lowest since 1993 (except the 2008).
On an annual basis, the order intake is increased by 36 per cent (for an absolute value of 82.5), compared to 2009, by virtue of the increase in foreign orders (+50.2 percent) and domestic (+15 , 5 per cent, in the first six months).