ITALY – Data shows that Italian machinery manufacturers’ total sales increased by 11.5% to € 2,078 million in 2016. This is close to the industry’s record production level of € 2,159 million in 2007. 

Newly released data from Acimall (Italian association of woodworking machinery manufacturers) on domestic wood machinery sales suggests there was a significant upturn in capital investment in 2016.

According to Acimall data, total sales by members to domestic industry were € 592 million in 2016, 31.6% more than the previous year. Export sales of woodworking machinery also increased in 2016, but at a slower rate of 5.1% to € 1,486 million. Much of the recent growth in export sales has been concentrated in North America.

Acimall suggest that increase in sales last year was driven both by government incentives and measures to support industrial activity and by rising wood product consumption.