The largest decline was seen in the domestic market, which fell by 13.6% from 551.4 million euro to 476.5 million euro. “This fall was due to the contraction in the two largest client sectors, ceramic tile and brick manufacturers, which were badly hit by the stagnation in the building and construction sector,” ACIMAC notes.
The association’s survey also revealed:
- Exports remained more or less steady at 2007 levels with 1.3 million euro, a small decrease of 2.7%.
- A breakdown of the figures by geographical areas reveals that Europe remains the market leader with a 39.3% share, followed by Asia, the Middle East, the United States, and Africa.
“Nonetheless, our world leadership position is unchallenged, as is our companies’ ability to develop innovative solutions for customers and end users. This remains a crucial factor as it is the only way for us to overcome this difficult period,” commented Acimac’s chairman Pietro Cassani. “Our companies are concentrating their efforts on research and development in the certainty that we will emerge from the crisis stronger than before.”