In the first half of 2017, the Italian textile fashion industry showed a 2.3% growth in sales, due to + 2.5% in textiles and + 2.1% in the supply chain. These are the data showed during the annual assembly of Smi-Sistema Moda Italia, the main Italian trade association of textile and clothing manufacturers, hold on June 6th.
According to the Smi researchers the forecasts for the first six months of the year are influenced by a more robust positive trend in Italy compared with a particularly critical first half of 2016. If we consider the entire 2017, the fashion and textiles sector should have a total turnover of 53.8 billion euros, up by 1.8% compared to 2016 (a double progress compared to 2016). The trade balance is also expected to rise to 9.1 billion (+ 1.6% compared to 2016). 2016 ended with revenue of 52.8 billion euros (+ 0.9% over 2015), sustained by clothing (+ 1.4%), while textiles remained stable. From 2013 to today, as Smi observes, the fashion-apparel system grew by 4.2%, against a growth of 1.8% national GDP and a growth in the traditional mechanical industry of 3.2%.
