A report released by the Switzerland-based International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF)
reveals increased investment activity worldwide for textile machinery in 2000 over 1999. Spinning
and texturing machinery showed the strongest recovery among the five primary types of machinery
covered in the report. Also included are weaving, large circular knitting and flat knitting
machines.Some 120 textile machinery manufacturers participated in the survey, including 25
additional mainland Chinese companies, whose inclusion made the report more comprehensive than
reports from previous years. Total shipments of spinning machinery included 3.94 million
short-staple spindles, 355,000 long-staple spindles and 207,000 open-end rotors. In the category of
texturing machinery, 95 percent of the 138,000 false-twist spindles that were shipped were double
heater spindles. Weaving machinery shipments totalled 60,000 shuttleless looms and 16,800 shuttle
looms. Shipments of 12,900 large circular knitting machines were recorded in 2000. Flat knitting
machinery statistics, newly recorded for 2000, show that 8,600 electronic flat knitting machines
and 64,400 semi-automatic and hand-knitting machines were shipped during the year.The report also
contains year 2000 figures that do not include data from the additional Chinese companies, so that
a direct comparison can be made to 1999 figures. Shipment increases of 50 percent were reported for
short-staple spindles, 43 percent for long-staple spindles and 50 percent for open-end rotors. The
report showed increases of 17 percent for shipments of rapier/projectile looms, 58 percent for
air-jet looms and 38 percent for water-jet looms. The total increase in weaving machinery shipments
is 35 percent. Shipments of shuttle looms in 2000 were down 1.8 percent over 1999 numbers. Double
heater spindle shipments increased by 46 percent; however, single heater draw texturing spindle
shipments decreased by 32 percent. Large circular knitting machinery shipments were 7.4 percent
higher for the year 2000.The report showed 68 percent of all spindles, 70 percent of looms and 55
percent of large circular knitting machines were shipped to Asia.
July 2001
