The health emergency generated by Covid19 has also impacted the ceramic and brick machinery sector. From 2018 to 2020, the sector has always closed down: we are talking about -3.5 percent in 2018; -19.8 percent in 2019; and -14.5 percent in 2020.
However, 2021 may represent a change of direction for this industry, which has been heavily affected by the pandemic. Early data are already encouraging: the first half of 2021 saw a 54 percent increase in sales over the first half of 2020 and a 12.8 percent increase over the same period in 2019.
The growing data
According to data from the Mecs/Acimac Study Center, the first quarter of 2021 saw a 33.3% increase in turnover (+38% export and +27.3% domestic). But growth was even more exponential in the second quarter, which had a +76.2% impact on the same period in 2020, with +90.3% in the domestic market and +70.1% in exports.
The 2020 budget
As anticipated, the close of 2020 was down for the ceramic machinery sector. Speaking of turnover, this was down 14.5 percent compared to 2019, due to both the health situation in the world and the end of the driving effect of national incentives for Industry 4.0.
The numbers were negative on both the domestic market (-16.2 percent compared to 2019) and the external market.
Speaking of exports, in 2020, 27.9% of sales (299 million euros) were concluded in the EU, the first destination area for Italian ceramic machinery. The second destination is Asia, with a sharp increase in sales to China (+57.6% compared to 2019). Another relevant market is South America, where the drop in sales was smaller (-3% on 2019).
