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[March 2004]
Italian Ceramic Machinery Manufacturers Go Globetrotting
As part of their policy of maintaining a presence in the most important world markets, this year Italian ceramic machinery manufacturers are taking part in five trade shows abroad, in Spain, Brazil, India, Russia and China.
The first exhibition was in Valencia, Spain, where at the beginning of March some 40 companies took part in Cevisama, the important exhibition of ceramic tiles, bathroom furniture, raw materials and glazes for ceramics, which in even years also hosts a section for plant and technology suppliers. All the largest Italian machinery suppliers took part, many of whom have had for some years production and sales sites in Castellon, the heart of the Spanish ceramic cluster.
From 9-13 March in Sao Paulo in Brazil - the world's fourth largest ceramic tile manufacturer with an output of 534 million square metres in 2003 - 14 Italian companies also took part in Revestir inside an area which, like last year, was called Tecnargilla Brasil.
The Italian presence abroad after that has been through a collective participation formula coordinated by the Italian Trade Commission ICE and Acimac. First amongst these is a venture which has just taken place, the participation of 15 exhibitors over 24-26 March in Ceramics & Ceramic Technology in New Delhi, India.
This will be followed shortly by a more substantial participation in Moscow, Russia from 6-9 April in Techno Ceramica, the new exhibit section promoted by Acimac as part of Russia Building Week, the largest Russian event devoted to building. The whole of Hall 4 in the Expocenter has been reserved for the 35 Italian suppliers of technology, machinery, raw materials and glazes for ceramic, companies which are watching the rapid development of the Russian market with growing interest. Over the past three years, the local tile manufacturing industry has grown at an average annual rate of 32% in terms of quantities, reaching 70 million square metres in 2003. New investments in Italian plant and machinery are already scheduled for the current year.
The last appointment before the summer break is with Ceramics China, taking place from 15-18 June in Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China, in the heart of what Acimac describes as the world's largest ceramic cluster. The event will be attended by the technology suppliers and the largest Chinese tile and sanitaryware manufacturers.
Preliminary figures for 2003 indicate that the Italian ceramic machinery industry, comprising 180 companies, turned over €1.4 billion. Two-thirds of this was accounted for by export orders.
ENDS