The third ITMA ASIA + CITME combined exhibition is expected to draw positive response from leading textile machinery manufacturers as the Chinese textile industry continues to expand. The show will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 12 to 16 June 2012.

According to its owners, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA), the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex) and China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC), the positive textile machinery shipment statistics released last month by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) further shows that demand for machinery has picked up.

Speaking at the press conference held yesterday at SNIEC, Mr Fritz Mayer, Board Member of CEMATEX, said, "As the global economy continues to show strong signs of recovery, we expect our 2012 edition to be even bigger than the previous showcase in 2010."

Explaining further, he said, "Currently, the textile machinery industry report card is looking much better compared to the previous two years. The ITMF‘s International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics show that investments, which were reduced during the 2008 crisis, have picked up significantly. In fact, I've been told that a number of machinery manufacturers have full order books, with delivery times, in some cases, of up to two years".

ITMF statistics point to buoyant demand for textile machinery in the past decade. Although imported textile machinery investments fell back in 2008 and 2009 after an excellent performance in 2007, they have started to register an upward trend since last year.

Machinery shipment figures for 2010 released recently reveal that substantial investments have been made in sectors such as short-staple spindles, open-end rotors, texturing spindles, shuttle-less looms, circular knitting machines and electronic flat knitting machines.

Also speaking at the press conference, Mr Wang Shutian, President of China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) painted a positive picture of the Chinese industry. Reiterating that the textile industry is a traditional pillar of China's economy, he gave an overview of the industry, including plans to strengthen the competitiveness of the industry. In 2010, China's textile and apparel exports hit US$206.5 billion, accounted for some 33% of the global textile and apparel trade. On the textile machinery industry front, Mr Wang highlighted the critical role played by the Chinese textile machinery industry.

"The textile machinery industry has laid a solid foundation for the rapid development of the textile manufacturing industry," he said, adding that the industry had 1071 large-scale enterprises, employing 149,800 people, as at end 2010.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan period, business revenue is said to have grown at an average annual rate of 17.08%, an increase of 3.4% from the 10th Five-Year Plan. The total value of the industry almost doubled during the same period. The production of textile machinery accounted for one-third of global product output. "China has become a heavyweight in the textile industry, with a corresponding increase in demand for machinery, equipment and new technology. Hence, the combined exhibition will be beneficial for both China's and Asia's fledging textile industry," he opined.

A strong track record

"Recognised as the largest international textile machinery showcase in Asia, the combined ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition has held two successful presentations, in 2008 and 2010. It has proven to be a reputable and effective platform for the promotion and adoption of the latest textile machinery technology and equipment, as well as strengthening national textile and textile machinery industry cooperation. At the same time, it has helped reduce business costs for exhibitors and visitors by cutting down on the number of exhibitions they have to participate in," organisers said.

The 2010 exhibition had a good showing even though the industry was still recovering from the global financial crisis. Spanning a total of 103,500 square metres, it attracted 1,171 exhibiting companies from 28 countries and regions. The exhibition received more than 82,000 professional visitors from 99 different countries and regions, of which 22% came from overseas.

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2012 is organised by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co Ltd and co-organised by MP International Pte Ltd. The Japan Textile Machinery Association is a special partner of the event. The deadline for space applications is 15 October 2011. For more information on the exhibition, please visit www.itmaasia.com or www.citme.com.cn