There is no shortage of reasons for concern \u2013 we have grown weary of even writing about them \u2013 and it is entirely pointless to list them yet again. And yet, the data regarding Italian imports and exports of machinery and technology for woodworking and the furniture indust<\/strong>ry speak for themselves, offering some \u2013 albeit modest \u2013 grounds for satisfaction.<\/p>\n It immediately catches the eye that both our sales abroad and purchases of technology across borders are growing, underlining an unexpected liveliness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Before diving into the numbers, a few necessary methodological clarifications. The data compiled by the Studies Office of Acimall<\/strong>, the association representing Italian excellence in this sector, pertain to the twelve customs codes<\/strong> that encompass all stationary woodworking machinery. This grouping excludes portable machines and tools, as there are no international codes for these types of products that specifically identify them as being for woodworking use.<\/p>\n Another essential point to consider is the timeframe: the data we present here should not be viewed as an accurate reflection of the current situation, but rather as representing trends between late 2025 and early 2026.<\/p>\n Having made the necessary premises, it is however worth underlining the validity of the statistical data relating to import-export, the only one \u2013 in the absence of certain data on the value of world production \u2013 capable of providing the manufacturer of machines and systems with a reliable picture of the market and the user of these technologies with a snapshot of the economic situation in their sector, keeping in mind that we are talking about investments that are decided when there is a need to increase productivity or diversify a company\u2019s offer by introducing new proposals.<\/p>\n ITALIAN EXPORT<\/p>\n In the first six months of this year, Italian manufacturers exported machinery and plants worth 666.7 million euros<\/strong>, a 3.8 percent increase<\/strong> compared to the same period in 2025.<\/p>\n Italy \u2013 which, it should be remembered, is the world\u2019s third-largest manufacturer and exporter, ranking behind China and Germany and well ahead of Taiwan and Austria \u2013 exports 57.2 percent of its output to the European Union, amounting to a value of 381.3 million euros; this represents a robust 12.1 percent growth compared to the January-June period of last year. At the top of this particular European ranking are France<\/strong> (\u20ac60.4 million, a 7.3% increase compared to the first half of 2025) and Spain<\/strong>, which recorded 9.1% growth for a total of \u20ac43.4 million. Germany<\/strong> is seeing a contraction (42.6 million euros, down 14 percent), further evidence of the well-known economic difficulties the country is facing, which inevitably have repercussions for the construction sector and all the industries downstream. Poland<\/strong>, too \u2013 the fourth-largest export market within the European Union \u2013 has seen a significant decline (34.2 million, down 13.4 percent) following years of sustained growth.<\/p>\n The extra-EU European region<\/strong> shows a positive trend, reaching a total of 88.1 million euros, an increase by 20.5 percent compared to the first half of 2025. The overall result is driven by the United Kingdom<\/strong> (34.5 million, up 37.8 percent), followed by Turkey<\/strong> (13.1 million, up 5.4 percent) and Switzerland<\/strong> (12.2 million, down 8.2 percent). Good results also for Norway<\/strong> and Ukraine<\/strong>, with 8.2 and 5.9 million euros, respectively.<\/p>\n The Americas<\/strong>, while representing a significant outlet for our exports (114.6 million euros, or 17.1 percent of our total exports), show a 15.4 percent decline compared to the January-June 2025 period. It goes without saying that North America \u2013 and the United States in particular \u2013 carries decisive weight within this region: although the U.S.<\/strong> experienced a 13.2 percent downturn during the first six months of 2026, it remains the<\/strong> world\u2019s leading market<\/strong> for Italian exports, with purchases totaling 75.3 million euros. Canada<\/strong> and Mexico<\/strong> both saw declines, reaching 12.6 million euros (down 30.1 percent) and 6.0 million euros (down 6 percent), respectively.<\/p>\n In South America, Brazil<\/strong> shows a sharp decline (7.9 million, down 42.1 percent), while Chile<\/strong> records strong growth (3.4 million, up 289 percent).<\/p>\n In Asia<\/strong> and Oceania<\/strong>, regions that account for 10.8% of total Italian exports in this sector, India<\/strong> stands out, having purchased Italian woodworking technology worth \u20ac18.7 million, an increase by 17% compared to the same period in 2025. Conversely, results in China<\/strong> have seen another significant decline (\u20ac11.8 million, down 8.9%), driven both by lackluster market conditions and an increasingly diverse range of locally produced offerings.<\/p>\n Africa \u2013 an eternal promise \u2013 still plays only a marginal role for Italy, accounting for 1.7 percent of its total exports; with the exception of South Africa<\/strong>, the other markets of any real significance are those along the Mediterranean rim (Egypt<\/strong>, Tunisia<\/strong>, Morocco<\/strong> and Algeria<\/strong>).<\/p>\n IMPORTS<\/p>\n The first, obvious point is that it is certainly not easy for our competitors to position their products in a market dominated by \u201chomegrown\u201d manufacturers<\/strong>, whose quality and effectiveness are recognized worldwide. The total volume of imports<\/strong> of technologies for the woodworking sector thus remains within the natural limit of 30 percent of total consumption.<\/p>\n Italy’s top foreign supplier is still Germany<\/strong>, with 52.2 million euros of machines supplied in the first six months of this year, down 4.1 percent compared to the first six months of 2025.<\/p>\n As expected, China<\/strong> is showing strong growth: Italy is purchasing machinery from the Asian giant totaling 19.2 million euros, an 18 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025.<\/p>\n Among Italy’s other supplier countries, we find Austria<\/strong> in third place (11.3 million euros, minus 0.6 percent) and India<\/strong> in fourth place (8.5 million, plus 88.9 percent), although in the latter case imports are influenced by the relocation of Italian production activities to the Indian subcontinent.<\/p>\n One final note concerns Finland<\/strong> (5,453 million euros, up 740.2 percent), a striking percentage increase, most likely attributable to the purchase of large-scale primary processing equipment; a \u201cpeak\u201d that is unlikely to be repeated\u2026<\/p>\n SECOND QUARTER 2026<\/p>\n Some more information from the results of the traditional survey on a representative sample of the industry carried out by Acimall, the association of Italian manufacturers, every three months. The data for the April-June period<\/strong> are shaped by a global geopolitical landscape that remains \u201chighly complex\u201d, even as an international scenario<\/strong> emerges that is nonetheless more inclined to invest in \u201cMade in Italy\u201d technologies for the wood and furniture industry.<\/p>\n In the April-June 2026 period, orders<\/strong> increased by 5.3 percent compared to the same period of 2025. Foreign trade<\/strong>, as mentioned above, scored a significant plus 12.3 percent. This is a clearly positive and encouraging figure for an industry with an overall export share above 70 percent of total production. Orders from the domestic market<\/strong> suffered from 12.5 percent reduction, continuing a long period of uncertainty that has been driving most companies to wait for better times before they invest in plants and technologies.<\/p>\n The orders backlog<\/strong> is at 3.5 months, while since January 1st<\/sup> prices<\/strong> have recorded a 3.5 percent increase.<\/p>\n According to the quality survey<\/strong>, 59 percent of the sample indicated substantially stable production, 18 percent increasing and 23 percent decreasing. Stability is also the main trend for employment<\/strong> (82 percent of the sample), while increasing employment was indicated by 12 percent and decreasing employment by 6 percent. Available stocks <\/strong>are growing according to 53 percent of respondents and stable according to 47 percent; no one reported a falling trend.<\/p>\n A clear vision of the future emerges from the opinions expressed by the sample: 24 percent expect that, in Q3 2026, domestic orders<\/strong> will have a surprising trend, while 41 percent expect three months of stability and 35 percent fear further reduction. As to foreign orders<\/strong>, those who see a stable July-September trend reached 59 percent, with 35 percent expecting a quarter suffering from further shrinkage (the same percentage of domestic orders), while company owners predicting increasing orders from the rest of the world fell to 6 percent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Now more than ever \u2013 as we often reiterate \u2013 it is useful to keep an eye on data and figures; such information is invaluable for trying to read the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":29318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transitional"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n