The Textile Machinery Association of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), Frankfurt,
reported the country’s textile machinery manufacturers exported machinery and accessories totaling
3.4 billion euros in 2005. Overall, exports declined by 5.3 percent for the year, but there were
significant increases in several markets, and the country remains the leading supplier globally of
textile machinery and accessories, according to VDMA.
Although Asia accounted for 46 percent or 1.6 billion euros of Germany’s textile machinery
exports, those exports declined by 7.6 percent. While exports to China were down by 27 percent,
that country remained the largest buyer of German machinery, with purchases totaling 742 million
euros and comprising 22 percent of Germany’s total exports. Exports to India, Iran and Pakistan all
rose considerably. India spent 232 million euros on German machinery, a 62.9-percent year-on-year
increase overall and up by 124.1 percent, 56.2 percent and 52.1 percent, respectively, for
spinning, weaving and finishing machinery. Iranian purchases totaled 89 million euros, up by 42.4
percent. Pakistani purchases grew by 31.1 percent, with specific increases of 98.3 percent and 42.7
percent, respectively, for finishing and spinning equipment.
Textile machinery exports to the Americas grew significantly to 587 million euros, accounting
for 17.2 percent of the total. Shipments to North America grew by 25.5 percent, with US purchases
up by 22.7 percent to 315 million euros. That figure represented 9.2 percent of total German
exports, the second-highest after Chinese purchases and the highest US total since 2001. In
particular, deliveries rose by 84 percent and 42.5 percent, respectively, for spinning and
finishing machinery. Exports to South America rose by 53.7 percent, and within that continent,
Brazil increased its purchases by 79.3 percent to 127 million euros.
Closer to home, Germany’s textile machinery shipments declined by 7.9 percent to countries
within the European Union and by 17.3 percent to the rest of Europe including Turkey, with a total
turnover of 1.1 billion euros or 33.3 percent of total exports. Turkish purchases accounted for 9
percent the third-largest portion by country of the total.
May/June 2006
