GIMAV: "Impossible to make predictions"
After a growing 2019 for the Italian industry of machinery, plants, accessories and special products for glass processing - which recorded a + 2,7% and a total turnover of over 2,3 billion euros, thanks to the driving force of exports (+ 3,7%) - and optimistic estimates for 2020, the lock down has stopped everything.
Before the emergence of the pandemic, the Associated Companies had provided a very positive projection of the results of the sector: overall (Italy and abroad) 86,4% of the companies interviewed expected growth and the remaining 13,6% did not foresee no contraction. In detail, growth forecasts rose to 91,3% of the interviewees considering only foreign markets (8,7% expected them to be stable anyway), while they stood at a "lower" 76,2% for the market internal, which was expected to be stable by 19% of respondents and down by the remaining 4,8%.
In an attempt to make a contribution, the sector report was supplemented with the results of the survey that photographs the situation during the pandemic: considering that in 2019 the months of March, April and May contributed to the year's result for over 26% of the total, 43% of the companies were completely inactive in full lock-down and, among the active companies, 65% had to stop production completely. Furthermore, as many as 71% of companies in the sector had to resort to the Redundancy Fund for at least 70% of the workforce.
Michele Gusti, president of Gimav, he stated: "For every Euro invested in the sector we contribute 55 cents of positive balance to the trade balance of our country, it would be appropriate for those who decide the economic and industrial policies of our country to take this excellence into account and reward it more".
