New orders, on the other hand, fell 17%short of the previous year’s result in the same period, with orders from within Germany down 7% and orders from abroad down a full 20%. In the most recent three-month period, June to August 2023, new orders fell by as much as 37%.

Textile care, Fabric & Leather technologies sector: Rising exports

German suppliers of laundry and dry-cleaning technology increased their exports by 2% to 239m euros in the first seven months of 2023, with Poland, France, and the USA the most important export markets.

German sewing and garment technology also saw exports rise by 3% to 247m euros in the same period. The most important customer markets were Italy, the USA, and France. Manufacturers of shoes and leather technology in Germany even recorded an increase of 19% to 37m euros in the period January 2023 to July 2023, with the main customer countries being the USA, Mexico, and France.

In the previous year 2022, exports of German laundry and dry cleaning technology increased by 15% to 421m euros. Exports in the sewing and garment technology sector weakened in 2022, falling by 5% to 429m euros. German manufacturers of shoe and leather technology, however, increased their exports by a full 25% to 59m euros in 2022.

European outlook

Italian technology suppliers reported growth in exports in all three sectors in 2022. Italian exports in the laundry and dry-cleaning technology sector increased by 2% to 442m euros in 2022 and were primarily shipped to Turkey, Poland, and Bangladesh. Exports by Italian sewing and garment technology manufacturers also increased by 17% to 317m euros in 2022. The main customer countries were Turkey, the USA, and Bangladesh. Italian shoes and leather technology suppliers increased their exports by 9% to 309m euros in 2022, with the main customer countries being China, France, and Spain.

“The mood among European manufacturers of Textile Care, Fabric, and Leather Technologies is currently subdued, the outlook uncertain,” said Elgar Straub, Managing Director of VDMA Textile Care, Fabric, and Leather Technologies at the trade association’s industry autumn meeting in Stuttgart. “The continuing tense geopolitical situation, the ongoing labor shortage, as well as the still rising costs for energy and primary products are putting a strain on the entire industry and causing unrest in the markets. However, the resulting steady increase in customer demands for automation, digitalization, and sustainability, gives hope for a surge in investment and thus an improvement in the order situation.”

New board elected in Stuttgart

In the context of the The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association’s (VDMA) autumn meeting in Stuttgart, the new board of the trade association for the coming four years was selected. Günther Veit, Managing Director Veit GmbH, has again been confirmed in his office as Chairman, as has Klaus Freese, Managing Director DESMA Schuhmaschinen GmbH, as Vice Chairman. Also elected as Vice Chairman for the first time was Fabrizio Giachetti, CEO of Morgan Tecnica Spa.