#Associations

2021-04-08

International Textile Industry Statistics n°62/2019

ITMF (International Textile Manufacturer Federation (www.itmf.org) has published its report on International Textile Industry Statistics (ITIS) on productive capacity and raw materials consumption in the short-staple organized (spinning mill-) sector in virtually all textile-producing countries in the world.

Decrease in global short-staple and rotor capacities

The 2019 data shows a decrease in short-staple spindles and open-end rotors capacities around the world (see Fig. 1). The number of installed short-staple spindles went down from 230 million. in 2018 to 223 million in 2019. The number of installed open-end rotors decreased from 8.2 million in 2018 to 7.4 million in 2019. These changes are mainly driven by scraping of outdated machinery in China. The trends observed in other regions are stable. The number of installed air-jet spindles is increasing worldwide, mainly in Asian countries and Turkey.

Global Installed Capacitiesin the Spinning Sector

The substitution between shuttle and shuttle-less looms continues but the growth in shuttle-less looms capacities has slowed down (see Fig. 2). The number of installed shuttle-less looms increased by 1% in 2019 and reached 1.7 million units. Total raw material consumption in the short-staple organized sector has stagnated in 2019 (see Fig. 3). Consumption of cellulosic short-staple fiber increased by 9% to 5.4 million tons and consumption of synthetic short-staple fibers decreased by -4% to 14.2 million tons. The consumption of cotton has stabilized at 26 mill tones.

Results of the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey

The global textile industry appears to be turning a corner, but this is more likely a fragile and possibly temporary improvement than the start of a durable recovery. According to the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey, conducted worldwide during the second half of May 2026, business sentiment, order intake, order backlogs and capacity utilization all improved versus March — yet every indicator remains weak by historical standards, and rising costs cast doubt on how long the upturn can last.

SIMTA joins ITMF as Corporate Member

In the past two decades SIMTA has established itself as producer of specialized machinery for the textile industry. In short period of time, SIMTA became an important supplier of precise rollers for top OEMs. Afterwards SIMTA started manufacturing overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems, and other textile ancillaries. In the meantime, SIMTA is a leader in this space in collaboration with the German automation technology partner Jacobi.

Keeping products moving with Swedish automation at FILTECH 2026

At FILTECH 2026, taking place in Cologne from June 30th to July 2nd, members of TMAS – the Swedish textile machinery association – will highlight how the country’s engineering expertise is enabling filtration manufacturers to increase productivity, improve traceability and reduce dependence on labour-intensive manual processes.

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Turkmenistan: Italian textile machinery focuses on high technology and specialization

The Italian textile machinery industry flies to Ashgabat to participate with a large “Made in Italy” delegation at TURKMEN TEXTILE EXPO 2026, the major international showcase taking place from June 4 to 6, 2026. The Italian presence, coordinated by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), aims to consolidate Italy’s primary technological role in a highly strategic market with interesting prospects.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

Textile Exchange publishes comprehensive polyester LCA study

Textile Exchange has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyester, providing detailed data on the environmental impacts of both virgin and recycled polyester production. The study aims to strengthen understanding across the fashion, textile and apparel industries and support more informed decision-making regarding polyester sourcing and production.