It certainly is not necessary to emphasise how the pandemic has dramatically affected the entire panorama of the international economy. A débâcle from which the mechanical footwear, leather goods and tanning sector has not been exempted.
In 2020, apart from the pandemic period, the Italian industry of tannery, footwear and leather goods machinery maintained a production of € 440 million, with an export value equal to approximately 70% of production and a trade balance of € 284.2 million.
At a time when all reference sectors are experiencing a sharp slowdown both in the volumes and values of their production – the tanning industry from 4602 to 3538 million euro, footwear from 7992 to 6081 million euro, leather goods from 9000 to 5700 million euro – it is obvious and normal to imagine a slowdown also in the sector devoted to technological innovation.
The picture is very clear if you look at the trend in exports of leather – footwear – leather goods machinery which, for Italy, dropped from 417,621 million in 2018 to 239,536 million euro last year. A decline that reflects the international difficulties, given that the consideration given for the entire world market saw a decrease from 1,035,287 million to 791,621 million euro.
Yet, despite the undisputed and indisputable difficulties, there is one fact that stays positive: Italy affirms its ranking supremacy of the best European exporters of tannery, footwear and leather goods machinery, maintaining a market share of 30%, second only to the continent of Asia (54%) if you look at the global scene.
Another less dramatic figure that delineates the tenacity of the Italian entrepreneurial fabric concerns the number of companies present on the market which decreased by only 5 units (235 companies) and the number of employees reduced by 100 units (3,900).
