ITMA ASIA + CITME gears up for bigger 2012 showcase

15 Jun '11

4 min read

The third ITMA ASIA + CITME combined exhibition is expected to draw positive response from leading textile machinery manufacturers as the Chinese textile industry continues to expand. It will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 12 to 16 June 2012.

According to its owners, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA), the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex) and China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC), the positive textile machinery shipment statistics released last month by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) further shows that demand for machinery has picked up.

Speaking at the press conference held at SNIEC, Mr Fritz Mayer, Board Member of CEMATEX, said, “As the global economy continues to show strong signs of recovery, we expect our 2012 edition to be even bigger than the previous showcase in 2010.”

Explaining further, he said, “Currently, the textile machinery industry report card is looking much better compared to the previous two years. The ITMF's International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics show that investments, which were reduced during the 2008 crisis, have picked up significantly. In fact, I've been told that a number of machinery manufacturers have full order books, with delivery times, in some cases, of up to two years”.

ITMF statistics point to buoyant demand for textile machinery in the past decade. Although imported textile machinery investments fell back in 2008 and 2009 after an excellent performance in 2007, they have started to register an upward trend since last year.

Machinery shipment figures for 2010 released recently reveal that substantial investments have been made in sectors such as short-staple spindles, open-end rotors, texturing spindles, shuttle-less looms, circular knitting machines and electronic flat knitting machines.

Also speaking at the press conference, Mr Wang Shutian, President of China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) painted a positive picture of the Chinese industry. Reiterating that the textile industry is a traditional pillar of China's economy, he gave an overview of the industry, including plans to strengthen the competitiveness of the industry.

In 2010, China's textile and apparel exports hit US$206.5 billion, accounted for some 33 per cent of the global textile and apparel trade. On the textile machinery industry front, Mr Wang highlighted the critical role played by the Chinese textile machinery industry.

“The textile machinery industry has laid a solid foundation for the rapid development of the textile manufacturing industry,” he said, adding that the industry had 1,071 large-scale enterprises, employing 149,800 people, as at end 2010.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan period, business revenue grew at an average annual rate of 17.08 per cent, an increase of 3.4 per cent from the 10th Five-Year Plan. The total value of the industry almost doubled during the same period. The production of textile machinery accounted for one-third of global product output.

More International Textile Manufacturers Federation News... More Textiles News - China...