Global Surge in Textile Machinery Shipments, Except in Texturing
The 46th annual International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics (ITMSS) report, released by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), highlights key trends in the textile machinery market for 2023. While shipments increased across most machinery segments, texturing machinery experienced a decline.
Spinning Machinery
In 2023, global shipments of new short-staple and long-staple spindles rose by 2% and 5%, respectively, while open-end rotors saw a 17% drop. Specifically, 9.78 million short-staple spindles were shipped, with 85% destined for Asia & Oceania. Notable increases were observed in Africa (+120%) and South America (+140%), though shipments to Europe and North and Central America declined. China, India, Türkiye, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Egypt emerged as the top investors in this segment.
The open-end rotor segment saw 1 million units shipped, 200 thousand fewer than in 2022. Asia & Oceania continued to dominate with 85% of global deliveries, though overall investment dropped, particularly in China, India, and Türkiye. However, Brazil and Mexico saw increased shipments by 20% and 46%, respectively.
Long-staple spindle shipments increased by 5%, totaling 98 thousand units. Europe (including Türkiye) and South America led this growth, with China, Türkiye, and Iran receiving the bulk of shipments.
Texturing Machinery
The global market for single heater draw-texturing spindles, primarily used for polyamide filaments, experienced a sharp decline of 33%, with shipments dropping to 43 thousand units. Asia & Oceania remained the dominant market, with China, Türkiye, and India as the primary investors.
Similarly, double heater draw-texturing spindles, mainly used for polyester filaments, saw a 27% decrease in shipments, totaling 550 thousand spindles. Asia, particularly China, continued to lead in global shipments.
Weaving Machinery
Weaving machinery saw a significant uptick in 2023, with shuttle-less loom shipments increasing by 52% to 171 thousand units. The largest gains were in the air-jet and water-jet categories, with shipments rising by 34% and 96%, respectively. Asia & Oceania accounted for 96% of worldwide deliveries, with China leading the investment in air-jet and water-jet looms, while India topped the rapier-and-projectile loom category.
Circular & Flat Knitting Machinery
The circular knitting machinery segment also experienced growth, with shipments increasing by 17% to 33 thousand units. Asia & Oceania continued to dominate, with China receiving 63% of the deliveries, marking an 86% increase from 2022. India and Türkiye were the second and third largest markets.
The electronic flat knitting machinery segment saw an even more substantial rise, with shipments soaring by 61% to 177 thousand machines. Asia & Oceania received 92% of global shipments, with China maintaining its position as the largest investor.
Finishing Machinery
In the finishing segment, the “fabrics continuous” category saw a slight increase in stenter shipments by 3%, reaching 1,833 units in 2023. Mixed results were reported for other machinery, with significant decreases in some categories like relax dryers/tumblers (-42%) and notable increases in others, such as bleaching-line machinery (+103%). In the “fabrics discontinuous” segment, shipments of “jigger dyeing/beam dyeing” and “air jet dyeing” machines dropped by 8% and 0.3%, respectively, while “overflow dyeing” machinery saw a 4.2% rise.
The ITMSS report, compiled in collaboration with over 200 textile machinery manufacturers, provides a comprehensive overview of global production trends, offering valuable insights into the evolving landscape of the textile machinery industry.
