05 Giugno 2012
The Italian ceramic industry consist of 265 companies with 36,000 employees
Italian-produced tiles generated revenues of 4.6 billion euro (-2.85%) as the combined result of 2.60% growth in exports (to 3.66 billion euro) and a 19.82% decline in domestic sales
The statistical surveys for the various segments of the Italian ceramic industry were unveiled at the Confindustria Ceramica 2013 Members’ Meeting. In 2012, the industry consisted of a total of 267 ceramic tile, sanitaryware, tableware and refractory materials manufacturing companies, which employed a workforce of 36,001 people and reported a total turnover of 6.60 billion euro, 79% of which was generated by exports.
Ceramic tiles produced in Italy.
In 2012 there were a total of 159 ceramic tile manufacturers operating in Italy (4 fewer than in 2011). These companies employed a workforce of 21,355 people (3.76% down on 2011), produced 367.2 million square metres of tiles (-8.31%) and posted sales of 382.2 million square metres (-7.48%). Continued market weakness led to a further 18.84% drop in Italian domestic sales (93.2 million square metres in 2012) and a small 3.11% decline in exports to 289.0 million square metres. The total turnover of 4.58 billion euro (-2.85%) consisted of 3.66 billion euro from exports (+2.60%) and 919 million euro generated by domestic Italian sales (-19.82%).
Investments continued to grow and reached 255.5 million euro (up 2.83% on 2011), equivalent to more than 5.5% of annual turnover.
Ceramic tiles manufactured outside Italy by companies controlled by Italian groups.
It was a particularly good year for companies owned by Italian ceramic groups but operating outside Italy. The 20 manufacturing operations outside Italy maintained a stable workforce (7,500 employees, an increase of 49 during the year) and achieved an overall output of 139.6 million square metres in North America and Europe (+14.75%) and sales of 141.5 million square metres (+11.1%). The process of internationalising manufacturing operations to serve local markets is continuing. A total of 116.1 million square metres was sold in the country of production, accounting for 82% of the total, while 25.4 million sq.m was exported to third countries (+17.6%).
Total 2012 turnover amounted to 1,195 million euro (+14.3%), consisting of 983.4 million euro of domestic sales (+13.4%) and 211.7 million euro of exports (+18.73%).
Ceramic sanitaryware.
The number of industrial level ceramic sanitaryware manufacturers operating in 2011 remained at 41, including 36 located in the Civita Castellana area (province of Viterbo). They employed a total workforce of 4,041 (-3.69%), produced 4.12 million pieces (-10.37%) and sold 3.88 million pieces (-13.42%).
Total turnover amounted to 337.7 million euro (-10.71%), consisting of 125 million euro of domestic sales (-21.69%) and 212.7 million euro of exports (-2.67%), which accounted for 56.41% of turnover. According to figures published by Istat, Italy’s National Institute of Statistics, sanitaryware imports slumped to 85.4 million pieces, a fall of 13.03%.
The refractory materials industry.
The 35 companies producing refractory materials in Italy (2 fewer than in 2011) employed 2,219 people (10 more than in 2011) and reported an output of 486,336 tons (-7.72%) and sales of 487,411 tons (-7.11%). Sales in Italy dropped to 320,219 tons in 2012 (-7.70%), corresponding to 65.7% of total sales volumes.
The total turnover of 426.6 million euro consisted of 268.2 million euro from domestic Italian sales (-7.52%), 95.8 million euro from exports within the EU (-1.28%) and 62.5 million euro from exports outside the EU (+0.82%).
Ceramic tableware.
The 10 Italian industrial level companies operating in the sector (2 fewer than in 2011) employed a total of 786 people (-20.85%) and reported production and sales of 13,200 tons of finished product, down respectively by 18.34% and 18.61%. Exports dropped to 2,600 tons (-26.22%) and Italian domestic sales likewise fell to 10,500 tons (-16.51%).
Turnover in 2012 totalled 52.3 million euro, consisting of 41.7 million euro generated by Italian sales (-22.26%) and 10.6 million euro from exports (-36.49%).
One particularly significant development was the introduction in May 2013 of antidumping measures on imports of Chinese tableware to Europe, involving the application of duties of between 13.1% and 36.1% on Chinese exporters over the next 5 years.
The ceramic tile industry’s first quarter of 2013.
Signs of a slowdown in the European economy, a deterioration in the Italian housing market and continued buoyancy of non-European markets were the key elements of the first quarter of 2013. Strong growth in sales to non-EU countries (+9.59% overall, including two-figure growth in Russia, the USA, Africa and Australia) was offset by a fall of a few percentage points in EU markets and a sharp decline in sales in the domestic Italian market (-11.55%) on the back of the big losses already suffered in 2012.