#Associations

2020-06-18

Worldwide shipments of new textile machinery decreased in 2019

In 2019, global shipments of spinning, texturing, weaving, knitting, and finishing machines decreased on average compared to 2018. Deliveries of new short-staple spindles, open-end rotors, and long-staple spindles dropped by -20%, -20%, and -66%, respectively. The number of shipped draw-texturing spindles declined by -4.5% and deliveries of shuttle-less looms shrunk by -0.5%. Shipments of large circular machines contracted by -1.2%, while shipped flat knitting machines fell by -40%. The sum of deliveries in the finishing segment also dropped by -2% on average.

These are the main results of the 42th annual International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics (ITMSS) just released by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF). The report covers six segments of textile machinery, namely spinning, draw-texturing, weaving, large circular knitting, flat knitting and finishing. A summary of the findings for each category is presented below. The 2019 survey has been compiled in cooperation with more than 200 textile machinery manufacturers representing a comprehensive measure of world production.

Spinning Machinery

The total number of shipped short-staple spindles decreased by about 1.7 million units in 2019 to a level of 6.96 million. Most of the new short-staple spindles (92%) were shipped to Asia & Oceania, where delivery decreased by -20%. While levels stayed relatively small, Africa and South America saw shipments increasing by +150% and +120%, respectively. The six largest investors in the short-staple segment were China, India, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

563’600 open-end rotors were shipped worldwide in 2019. This represents a 147’500-units drop compared to 2018. 90% of global shipments went to Asia & Oceania where deliveries decreased by -21% to 517’000 rotors. Indonesia and Pakistan, the world’s 5thand 6thlargest investors in open-end rotors, increased their investments by +120% and 15%, respectively. China, Vietnam, India, and Uzbekistan, the world’s 1stto 4thlargest investors in 2019 decreased investment by -48% on average.

Global shipments of long-staple (wool) spindles decreased from 120’000 in 2018 to nearly 40’000 in 2019 (-66%). This effect was mainly driven by a fall in deliveries to Europe (-72%) and South America (-80%). 80% of total deliveries where shipped to China and India.

Texturing Machinery

Global shipments of single heater draw-texturing spindles (mainly used for polyamide filaments) increased by +12% from nearly 22’800 in 2018 to 25'500 in 2019. With a share of 88%, Asia & Oceania was the strongest destination for single heater draw-texturing spindles. China and Chinese Taipei were the main investors in this segment with a share of 64% and 12% of global deliveries, respectively.

In the category of double heater draw-texturing spindles (mainly used for polyester filaments) global shipments decreased by -5% to a level of 464’000 spindles. Asia’s share of worldwide shipments decreased to 90%. Thereby, China remained the largest investor accounting for 77% of global shipments.

Weaving Machinery

In 2019, worldwide shipments of shuttle-less looms decreased by -0.6% to 133’250 units. Thereby, shipments in the categories of “air-jet” and “rapier and projectile” fell by -7.7% to 30’200 and -22% to 25’000, respectively. The deliveries of water-jet looms increased by +12% to 78’000. The main destination for shuttle-less looms in 2019 was Asia & Oceania with 95% of all worldwide deliveries. 98%, 93%, 86% of all water-jet, air-jet, and rapier/projectile looms went to that region. The main investors were China and India in all three sub-categories. Deliveries of weaving machines to these two countries reached 89% of total deliveries. Bangladesh further played an important role in the rapier/projectile segment with 20% of global shipments.

Circular & Flat Knitting Machinery

Global shipments of large circular knitting machines fell by -1.2% to 26’400 units in 2019. The region Asia & Oceania was the world’s leading investor in this category with 86% of worldwide shipments. With 61% of all deliveries (i.e. 13’143 units), China was the favoured destination. India and Vietnam ranked second and third with 2’670 and 2’210 units, respectively.

In 2019,the segment of electronic flat knitting machines decreased by -40% to around 96’000 machines. Asia & Oceania was the main destination for these machines with a share of 92% of world shipments. China remained the world’s largest investor with an 80%-share despite a -44%-decrease in investments from 122'550 units to 68'760 units.

Finishing Machinery

In the “fabrics continuous” segment, shipments of stenters and washing (stand-alone) grew by +34% and +0.6%. The growth in stenter deliveries is mainly explainedby the addition of ITMF’s estimate for the number of stenters. The total number of shipped stenters of 1’700 units thus represents an estimate of the total market for this category.

In the “fabrics discontinuous” segment, the number of jigger dyeing / beam dyeing shipped rose by +35% to 561 units. Deliveries in all other machine categories in both finishing sub-segments (i.e. continuous and discontinuous) decreased in 2019.

ITMF and IAF conclude successful Joint Convention 2025 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) have successfully concluded their second joint convention, held this year in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In close collaboration with the host Indonesian Textile Association (API), the event gathered over 400 delegates from around the world from across the entire textile and apparel value chain.

Businesses urge European Commission to allow continued sale of products already lawfully placed on the market before the Empowering Consumers Directive’s application to avoid unnecessary waste and costs

EDANA, the voice of nonwovens, alongside a coalition of leading European business associations, has issued a joint statement urging the European Commission to introduce a "grandfathering clause" to the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive. The coalition warns that without transitional provisions for products already lawfully placed on the market, the new rules could inadvertently lead to massive waste and economic disruption.

Joint Statement: Urgent clarification needed on scope of Textiles EPR for PPE and Medical Devices

EDANA, the voice of nonwovens, alongside fellow industry associations CIRFS (European Man-Made Fibres Association), EURATEX (The European Apparel and Textile Confederation), ESF (European Safety Federation), and EuroCommerce (Retail & Wholesale), has issued a joint statement raising critical concerns regarding the transposition of Directive (EU) 2025/1892, the targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive.

Young researchers recognised for cutting-edge work in recycling, fibre technology and textile mechanics

At the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference held in Aachen at the end of November, Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, honoured five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses that develop solutions for resource-saving products and technologies, for example, are eligible for the sustainability awards.

Level playing field at stake: Europe’s textile industry demands decisive action

Yesterday, the European Parliament took a welcomed and necessary step by voting a resolution calling for stronger market surveillance, reinforced customs controls and faster enforcement of the Digital Services Act in case of infringements. For Europe’s textile and clothing manufacturers, this is the first political acknowledgement that the system is broken — and that enforcement must finally match the scale of the problem.

Happy Holidays!

Dear reader, the year 2025 is drawing to a close. We are entering what we hope will be a peaceful holiday season, spending time with our families and taking a moment to pause and reflect. We hope we have been able to support you once again this year with relevant news and articles, and we look forward to surprising you with many innovations in the coming year. Enjoy the festive season, stay healthy, and we wish you a happy and joyful holiday season.

Texpertise Focus AI: Messe Frankfurt puts Artificial Intelligence centre stage at its international textile and apparel trade fairs

Under the banner 'Texpertise Focus AI, Messe Frankfurt will place a strong emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its international textile and apparel trade fairs from 2026 onwards, setting a future-shaping signal for the industry. The initiative highlights the responsible use of AI along the entire textile value chain, from fibre production to the point of sale. The programme will launch at Heimtextil in Frankfurt in January 2026.

Autoneum and Polestar set new benchmarks for passenger experience and sustainability

As the global market leader in sustainable acoustic and thermal management, Autoneum is a key supplier of interior and exterior components for the highly anticipated Polestar 5 model. The successful collaboration between Autoneum and Polestar marks a significant milestone in sustainable automotive engineering: the electric grand tourer sports car features several innovations in lightweight, fully recyclable polyester-based components that ensure a superior driving experience. Polestar 5 was revealed at the IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich and is available in 24 markets.