Despite being one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, in recent months it has recovered and corrected the forecast for a drop in income, which was initially estimated at 30%.

The Spanish textile machinery sector recovers. Despite being one of the industries most affected by the coronavirus, with a 38% drop in exports during the first half of the year, the business faces the future with more optimism. In summer, exports increased, and the sector expects to go from a drop in income of 30% to 20%, as explained today by the Association of Internationalized Industrial Companies, which also groups manufacturers of textile and clothing machinery in Spain (Amec Amtex).

With the arrival of the pandemic, the textile technology industry had to adapt to the context, transforming and reinforcing its services through online. The sector was stopped for several months, but in September and October it began to recover.

“Companies in the textile technology sector have survived numerous crises”, says Alejandro Gallego, director of Amec Amtex; that is why they have great adaptability, and those that have been able to transform their products, find new sectors and markets are the ones that have suffered the least ”, he remarked.

According to the manager, the textile machinery sector faces, mainly, three challenges: immediacy, sustainability and excellence. Gallego explains that the industry is buying machines because «it wants to start producing immediately».

The coronavirus crisis has accelerated certain processes in the textile machinery sector, such as digitization, which is key to monitoring production. In addition, the pandemic has led to automation of processes and Industry 4.0, relocation and omnichannel, among others.

To face the cancellation of important fairs and appointments for the sector, and the restrictive measures that affect mobility, Amtec Amtex has carried out numerous activities, such as participating in virtual fairs such as Wtin, where the entity’s stand received this October more than 3,000 visitors and put Spanish companies in contact with American clients.

The United States is precisely the main market for Spanish products in the sector, since since 2016 the country has maintained a growing trend in terms of imports. Portugal and France follow closely and, as regards Mexico, which has traditionally been a very important market for Spanish exports, there has been a decline in these in recent years.

The companies that are part of amec amtex generate an export volume of over 6,200 million euros and export on average 55.5% of their turnover.