Aug 01, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. According to the sample surveyed by the Acimall Study Office, the total increase in orders received by the Italian industry of woodworking machinery and tools was 15.1% as compared to the same period of 2006 , thanks to a good trend on the Italian market (+11.9%) and foreign markets (+16%). Some other figures: from January to June 2007, prices went up by 1.9%, while the period of ensured production, at the end of the first half of 2007, amounts to 3.5 months, versus 3.4 in the previous quarter. The quality survey for the April-June period reveals that 57% of interviewed entrepreneurs (a sample that represents the entire industry for production type and company size) indicate a stationary production trend, 40% an increasing trend, and 3% only a decreasing trend. Available stocks are stationary according to 70%, decreasing according to 10% and growing according to the remaining 20%. Employment is considered as stationary by 83% of the sample, increasing by 10% and falling by 7%. As to forecasts for the next period, international orders will be stationary according to 53% of the sample, further growing according to 33%, and decreasing according to 14% (positive balance +19). Looking at the Italian market, in the coming months it is expected to have a constant trend according to 70 percent of the interviewees, a rally for 13% and a shrinkage for the remaining 17% (negative balance, -4). Acimall, the Italian woodworking machinery and tools manufacturers’ association - is a member of Confindustria and represents 221 Italian manufacturers, i.e. 90% of Italian production. Woodworking technologies are an ace in the hole of the ‘made in Italy’ sector, with 12 thousand employees, a production worth Euro 1.8 billion and a 2006 export share of 82%.