#Associations

2021-10-21

10th ITMF Corona-Survey

Companies see mostly a good business situation and anticipate an even more favourable business in six months’ time. Some differences between regions and segments persist.

Between the middle of August and the middle of September 2021, the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has conducted the 10th ITMF Corona-Survey among companies around the world covering all segments of the textile value chain.

The latest results reveal that on average the business situation of the companies is mostly positive. The balance between companies finding themselves in a “good” and a “poor” business situation has reached +10 percentage points (pp) in September 2021 after +5 pp in July and +14pp in May 2021.

The business expectations in six months’ time remain on a relative high level. 48% of companies are expecting a more favorable and only 13% a less favorable business which results in a positive balance of +35 pp (48% minus 13%).

Looking at regions it can be observed that those regions with a slow vaccination campaign are lagging those with high vaccination rates when it comes to business situation and expectations.

As for the segments, upstream segments have been faring somewhat better since the recovery is under way than the downstream ones, but the latter seem to be catching up. One important reason for this are the supply chain disruptions the industry is faced with. Further down the value chain the disruptions are felt more pronouncedly due to the cumulative effects in delays of raw and intermediate materials.

Compared to May and July order intake has increased significantly in September on a global level and companies anticipate a further increase in the next six months.

A look at the order backlog since May 2021 reveals that companies have a stable order backlog on average of around 2.4 months. Differences between regions and segments remain.

More information about the results of the 10th ITMF Corona-Survey, please contact the ITMF-Secretariat at secretariat@itmf.org.

SIMTA joins ITMF as Corporate Member

In the past two decades SIMTA has established itself as producer of specialized machinery for the textile industry. In short period of time, SIMTA became an important supplier of precise rollers for top OEMs. Afterwards SIMTA started manufacturing overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems, and other textile ancillaries. In the meantime, SIMTA is a leader in this space in collaboration with the German automation technology partner Jacobi.

Young talents honoured – 60 years Walter Reiners Foundation

At the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt at the end of April, Peter D. Dornier, chairman of the VDMA’s Walter Reiners Foundation, presented awards to five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability awards were presented in the categories of bachelor’s/project theses and diploma/master’s theses. Academic theses are eligible for the sustainability awards if, for example, they develop solutions for resource-efficient products and technologies.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.

Itema to showcase weaving excellence at ITM 2026

From June 9 to 13, Itema will exhibit at ITM 2026 in Istanbul (Hall 8 – Stand 806D), unveiling a distinctive exhibition concept designed to highlight the Company’s expertise across the entire weaving value chain. For this year’s edition, Itema will introduce an innovative stand experience built around two core areas: advanced weaving and spare parts solutions and an immersive textile gallery featuring fabrics produced by Itema Customers worldwide.

Last chance to apply: ITMA 2027 Start-Up Valley closes tomorrow

Applications for the Start-Up Valley at ITMA 2027 close tomorrow, offering young technology companies the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of several successful participants from the 2023 edition. The initiative, organised under the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant programme, has already helped a number of textile start-ups accelerate their transition from early-stage concepts to industrial partnerships, funding rounds and commercial deployment.