Il 2023 he profiled himself for the Textile-Clothing as a year of decidedly more moderate growth, with a more contained year end, with a turnover assumed at just under 64 billion euros, therefore increasing by +2,0%. Signs of weakening are also visible in reference to performances on foreign markets. Based on ISTAT data, the year 2023 sees sectoral exports increasing by +0,4%, for a total of 38,7 billion euros; at the same time, imports showed a decline of -5,5%, equal to 27,1 billion euros. Focusing the analysis first on exports, with reference to commercial outlets it is underlined that the community market has remained favorable for the sector, growing by +1,7%, while the non-EU market has shown a decline, to the extent of -0,9 ,50,4%. The non-EU market covers 49,6% of the sector's total exports, making it the largest "buyer", while the EU absorbs XNUMX% of sales.
The results by country
- France in first position sees an increase of +9,2%, securing 12% of total sales;
- Germany in second position and United States in third position, which recorded a loss of -6,6%, for a total of 2,8 billion euros (7,2% of the total).
- Chinain fourth position, with +7,3%; similarly Hong Kong (ninth) closes the twelve months with an increase of +4,6%.
- Al fifth place we find the Spain which contains growth at +0,2%. You position at sixth place la Switzerland, which presents a double-digit decline, equal to -23,3%.
- All the remaining main destinations are recording positive dynamics, although at different rates; the only exceptions are the United Kingdom, which shows a decrease of -4,0%, securing 1,7 billion euros (4,4% of the total), and Romania and the Netherlands which respectively record a loss of -2,3% and -1,6%. In relation to imports, 48,5% of the textile-clothing entering our country comes from the EU and consequently the non-EU guarantees 51,5%: while the first macro-area closes 2023 with growth of + 6,7%, the second marks a decline of -14,7
2024 forecasts
Le forecasts for 2024 they are certainly difficult given the general climate of strong uncertainty. The international macroeconomic volatility, but also the growing inflation, the high interest rates and the increase in prices, which lead to a decline in the purchasing power of consumers, lead to the hypothesis that the Textile-Clothing sector will also start in 2024 at indicates a further slowdown in demand, both internally and on foreign markets. Based on the results of the annual survey relating to Textiles-Clothing, carried out in the months of March-April 2024, a further slowdown can be expected at least in the first half of the current year. Although as many as 28% of the panel is confident in a stability of market conditions compared to the period January-June 2023, the percentage of those who expect a worsening rises to 62% of respondents, thus being much higher than those who assess that the economic evolution is "improving" (10%).
The occupation
To about they are not expected in the first part of the year big changes compared to the levels at the end of 2023: 71% of the sample estimates that their workforce will remain "unchanged" compared to then. 5% predict a "decrease" in the number of employees, while 24% indicate an increase. Please remember that these percentages respond to a purely qualitative question and express only a rough forecast regarding the internal company dynamics in the short term. Signs of a slowdown are also present in the official INPS data relating to the hours of redundancy payments authorized in the first quarter of 2024 for Textile-Clothing companies, which record a significant increase compared to the hours granted in January-March 2023. Even by analyzing the trade with foreign countries in the first two months of 2024 a suffering market can be seen: based on the latest ISTAT data recently released, January-February sees Textile-Clothing exports increasing by +3,1%, for a total of approximately 6,6 billion euros, on the other hand imports lose -13,6%, for a total of 4,1 billion euros. As already highlighted, it is the "upstream" of the supply chain that suffers the most, recording a negative dynamic both in terms of foreign sales, down by -9,6%, and above all imports, which lose -20,1%. At the same time, for the "downstream" of the supply chain there is a growth of +8,0% in exports, while there is a contraction of -10,6% in imports. Finally, internal consumption also shows a decline in demand, according to panel data from Sita Ricerca, in the first two months of 2024 the sell-out of Textiles-Clothing recorded a decline of -1,6% in value, in parallel with volume there was a decrease of -2,5% was observed.
