Global : Textile Machinery Orders Up In 2002

Global shipments of textile machinery retained a firm momentum in 2002 although declines were recorded in the long-staple spindle and circular knitting machinery, new figures revealed on Monday.

A survey by the Geneva-based International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) which questioned 120 textile machinery also showed weaving machinery enjoyed an extremely strong year with solid sales growth.

The study found shipments of short-staple (cotton) spindles were flat at 3.6 million although deliveries of long-staple (wool) spindles fell 23 per cent to 351,000 from 2001 but shipments of open-end rotors jumped 40 per cent to 363,000.

Global shuttle-less loom shipments soared 59 per cent year-on-year to 71,700 with the major destinations being China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Shipments of shuttle looms jumped 44 per cent from 2001.

The ITMF added shipments of large circular knitting machines fell nine per cent to 9,240 machines while electronic flat knitting machines orders rose five per cent to 9,580 from the year prior.