#Textile processing

2022-04-07

Significant increase in incoming orders

German manufacturers of Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies ended the year 2021 with positive figures. Incoming orders increased by 35 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year. Exports also increased again in 2021: In the sewing and garment technology sector, German machine manufacturers were able to increase exports by 8 percent to 439 million euros.

Industry meeting in Nuremberg finally live on site again

Election to the Board

Poland main export market

The most important export market from a German perspective was Poland, followed by the USA and France. German suppliers of shoe and leather technology increased their exports by 16 percent to 47.5 million euros. Here, the main customer countries were the USA, France and Mexico. Exports of German laundry and textile cleaning technology also increased by 6 percent to 364 million euros in 2021. The most important export markets here were Poland, Turkey and the USA. From a European perspective, exports also recovered in 2021. Exports of Italian sewing and garment technology, for example, rose by 11.5 per cent to 271 million euros and Italian shoe and leather technology also increased by over 19 per cent to 284 million euros. Spain was also able to increase exports of laundry and textile cleaning technology by 12 percent to 87 million euros.

"Companies' order books are well filled after the pandemic-related decline in 2020," said Straub.

"However, the ever-increasing prices for raw materials, the massive supply bottlenecks for preliminary products, the expensive and difficult transport conditions and the enormously increased energy costs are very challenging for many technology manufacturers. Added to this are now the unforeseeable consequences of the war in Ukraine."

Industry meeting on site in Nuremberg

After two years, the VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies was finally able to hold its industry meeting on April 4 and 5 in Nuremberg again in presence. "As we have learned in the pandemic over the last two years, no virtual meeting can replace personal exchange on site," said Elgar Straub, Managing Director VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies.

Participants were able to learn about current topics in workshops on "Sustainability in the textile industry in dialogue with the mechanical engineering sector" and "Increasing protectionism in the USA-China-EU triangle and the impact on mechanical engineering", as well as about the EU Green Deal and current developments in the sewing and garment industry and the textile care industry in the USA. Messe Frankfurt gave the participants an update on Texprocess in June 2022, the long-awaited first leading trade fair for the sector in three years.

Election to the Board

During the industry meeting, VDMA TFL expanded its board by a further four members - including an additional Italian representative.

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.

VDMA members at ITMA ASIA + CITME in Singapore

With 69 exhibiting member companies, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 is once again marked by a strong presence of VDMA companies. Altogether 82 companies from Germany will exhibit at the show, covering about 3,500 square meters of exhibition space, topped only by China and Italy. VDMA initiated a German Pavilion with two group stands (spinning in hall 4 and finishing in hall 7) with a total of 30 exhibitors.

VDMA member companies on display at ITMA ASIA

ITMA ASIA + CITME end of October in Singapore will see a strong participation of around 70 VDMA member companies. They will cover nearly all different machinery chapters along the textile value chain including spinning and man-made fibres, nonwovens, weaving, braiding, knitting & warp knitting, finishing & dyeing as well as technologies for textile recycling and processing of recycled material. VDMA initiated a German Pavilion with two group stands (spinning in hall 4 and finishing in hall 7) with a total of 30 exhibitors.

Smart technologies for green textile production

With 42 exhibiting member companies, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2024 is once again marked by a strong presence of VDMA companies. They cover nearly all different machinery chapters with a focus on spinning and man-made fibers, nonwovens, weaving, braiding, knitting & warp knitting, finishing & dyeing as well as technologies for textile recycling and processing of recycled material. In total, the German participation at the fair is the largest from outside China.

trinamiX mobile NIR spectroscopy: New applications for the footwear and textile industry

trinamiX GmbH expands its solution portfolio for the circular economy, now enabling the identification of materials used in the footwear and textile industries. With its mobile near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy solutions, trinamiX supports manufacturers, sorters, recyclers, and brand owners in reliably identifying materials and improving transparency across increasingly complex value chains.

Speed and connectivity: Techtextil and Texprocess provided market-ready solutions for industries under pressure

With more than 36,000 visitors and 1,700 exhibitors from a total of 112 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 demonstrated how innovation comes into industrial use. The convergence of research, industry and application proved to be a breeding ground for new material solutions, manufacturing and processing technologies. Natural fibres, performance apparel, connected systems and AI-driven processing technologies emerged as key growth and future markets.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.