In 2Q 2017 orders for Italian woodworking technologies increase by 31.9%

In the April-June 2017, orders for Italian woodworking technologies recorded 31.9% growth rates, compared to the same period of 2016 (previous quarter growth was 22.2%), reported Italian woodworking machinery and tools manufacturers’ association Acimall. The final figure results from the performance of foreign trade, with orders increasing by 34.8% in the quarter under scrutiny, and the trend of the Italian market, achieving a significant plus 18.7% after the negative result of minus 3.6% in January-March 2017.

This “resurrection” has been driven by the long-awaited official document about the introduction of hyper-mortgages by the Italian government within the framework of the “Industria 4.0” plan. Specific implementation guidelines were published in March and are now starting to arouse the interest of technology users; Acimall’s Studies Office expects such interest to turn into real business in the second half of the year, generating beneficial effects.

As to the orders book, the survey by the Confindustria member association of wood and wood-based materials machinery manufacturers indicates a period of 3 months, the same value as in the two previous quarter, while price variation since January 1st is 1.1% (it was 0.9 on March 30).

The forecast survey is still characterized by moderate optimism: 50% of the interviewees believe that foreign demand will expand further in the coming months (versus 44% in January-March), while another 50% expect a stationary trend (56% in the previous survey;  the final balance is 50, versus 44 in the January-March 2017 period). Optimism also pervades the domestic market: 13% of the sample predict growth (it was 17% in the first quarter), 81% expect substantial stability (78) and only 6% fear reduction, one percent more than in the previous quarter. The balance is plus 7, versus plus 1 in the final quarter 2016.