Anima data show marginal growth (+0.4%), highly polarized sectors, and competitive pressure from abroad
The first half of 2025 closed with overall exports of Italian mechanical engineering substantially stable, recording marginal growth of 0.4% (for a total of 19.84 billion euros) compared to the same period in 2024. This figure portrays a resilient sector but also a picture of growing uncertainty, with highly polarized percentage performances that reveal some sectors experiencing strong expansion and others in sharp contraction. These are the main findings emerging from the analysis conducted by the Statistics and Market Intelligence office of Anima Confindustria on data for the first half of the year.
The mechanical engineering sector continues to confirm its vocation for export, with approximately 60% of production destined for foreign markets. Nonetheless, the first-half data highlight contrasting trends that require particular attention.
Among the sectors that recorded the best performances, hydraulic and steam turbine manufacturers stand out, followed by commercial refrigeration equipment, which grew strongly with a 20.8% increase compared to the first half of 2024 (equal to €407 million in exports). Industrial ovens are in third place, with a 12.5% increase, as well as bakery machinery and ovens, which recorded an excellent +9.2%. The valves and faucets sector confirmed solid growth, remaining a pillar of Italian exports with over €3 billion (+4.6%).
On the other hand, the sectors experiencing the greatest difficulties showed significant contractions. Industrial forklifts suffered the sharpest decline, falling 20.2% from €1.31 billion to €1.05 billion. Internal combustion engines also recorded a sharp contraction of -19.7%, likely reflecting the ongoing transition to electric solutions and alternative energy sources.
On the international market front, in the first half of 2025, the United States confirmed its position as the leading destination (€2.3 billion in total), partly due to the increase in orders from overseas companies in recent months – with the aim of stockpiling ahead of the full implementation of the new tariffs. Precisely because of the tariffs, serious concerns remain for many mechanical engineering sectors starting in the second half of this year.
Germany, while remaining the second largest market for Italian exports (€1.87 billion and -3.3%), continues to show signs of weakness, confirming a negative trend that has now persisted for several quarters. France also shows increasing fragility (-6.3%), with marked contractions in various sectors, highlighting how economic and political instability is weighing on domestic industrial demand. Nonetheless, several Italian mechanical engineering companies have demonstrated their ability to diversify geographically, finding outlets in non-European markets – especially in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In Europe, exports to Spain have grown significantly (+13.1%), rising to fourth place among Anima mechanical engineering destinations, with a total of €934 million.
On the import front, data show significant overall growth of 6.7%, signaling growing competitive pressure from foreign suppliers. Particularly notable is the trend in aeraulic systems, whose imports increased by 26.9%, and in bakery machinery and ovens: +109% compared to last year. Household goods also saw an explosion in imports (+32.6%).
"The results of the first half of the year confirm that the Italian mechanical engineering industry, compared to the first half of 2024, has maintained substantial stability, once again demonstrating its resilience and ability to adapt," states Pietro Almici, president of Anima Confindustria."This figure, while positive in a complex international context, highlights a halt in growth. In recent years, the Italian mechanical engineering industry has demonstrated extraordinary strength and rebound ability, successfully diversifying its outlet markets even in critical moments. However, geopolitical tensions, the issue of US tariffs, the weakening of its main European partners, and growing competitive pressure from abroad generate uncertainty for the future. While maintaining its structural solidity, the mechanical engineering industry is facing increasingly pressing challenges. The ability demonstrated by Italian companies to maintain good positions on global markets is a positive element, but the situation requires constant attention and structural interventions to protect the competitiveness of a strategic branch for the entire national economy, without forgetting the social fabric implicitly involved. It is essential that national and European institutions support the sector with targeted industrial policies, promoting the competitiveness of companies and ensuring fair competition on international markets.
ANIMA Confindustria is the industrial trade organization that, within Confindustria, represents companies in the various and related mechanical engineering sectors, a sector that employs 221,700 people for a turnover of 55.5 billion euros and an export/turnover share of 59% (Anima Research Office data). The macro-sectors represented by ANIMA are: construction and infrastructure; material handling and logistics; food production; energy production; industrial production; safety and the environment.
Us tariffs pose a risk to italian mechanical exports
The president of Anima Confindustria, Pietro Almici, calls on EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič for action.In an increasingly complex and competitive global context, the Italian mechanical engineering industry represented by Anima Confindustria is facing significant challenges due to the recent tariffs imposed by the United States. On August 19, the White House announced the introduction of duties of up to 50% on products and components made of steel, aluminum, and derivatives, a measure that threatens the competitiveness of Italian companies in the primary reference market for the mechanical engineering sector, with exports reaching €4.4 billion in 2024.Pietro Almici, president of Anima Confindustria, said: "It is essential that the European Union responds in a coordinated manner to these protectionist measures. On the occasion of his visit to Italy, we urge EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to intensify negotiations with the US government to reduce bureaucratic burdens and eliminate extra duties on mechanical engineering products containing steel, aluminum, and copper. We believe it is necessary to define a defense strategy and accelerate market diversification, including new trade agreements such as the one with Mercosur. The mechanical engineering industry has historically been the engine of Europe's economic and social development. Companies in the sector not only drive exports but also contribute significantly to economic stability and social cohesion, with 60% of production destined for export. At this historic moment—Almici continues—specific agreements between US and European customs would reduce the bureaucratic burden, which, in the case of SMEs, can result in the deployment of as few as two or three people for two weeks to dedicate to a single order. A clearly unsustainable business cost for small and medium-sized companies, which comprise the vast majority of the Italian mechanical manufacturing industry.Despite recent trade tensions, mechanical engineering exports have demonstrated remarkable resilience. In the first half of 2025, export turnover for the sectors represented by Anima Confindustria remained stable, with growth of +0.4%, exceeding €19.8 billion (data from Anima's Statistics and Market Intelligence Office). In this scenario, it is crucial for the mechanical engineering industry to develop new strategies to safeguard and expand the market. The diversification of destinations, already underway towards North America, the Middle East, and Africa, represents a strategic lever for strengthening Italian exports and improving the trade balance, which has shown signs of rebalancing in recent years. A good example could come from the Mattei Plan, launched in 2024, which offers a concrete opportunity to relaunch Italian technological capabilities in Africa, supporting local development through equal partnerships and creating opportunities for European mechanical engineering SMEs. Similarly, in Europe, the harmonization and dissemination of European technical standards in partner countries would facilitate exports and industrial integration on our continent."We ask that in the upcoming trade negotiations, the European Union include concrete tools for regulatory convergence, in order to reduce time and costs and create barrier-free industrial corridors," added Almici. "Italy's strategic position in the EU manufacturing industry is essential to ensure solid commercial performance and contribute to the dissemination of European industrial standards."ANIMA Confindustria is the industrial trade organization that, within Confindustria, represents companies in the mechanical and related sectors, a sector that employs 221,700 people with a turnover of €55.5 billion and an export/turnover share of 59% (data from the Anima Research Office). The macro-sectors represented by ANIMA are: construction and infrastructure; material handling and logistics; food production; energy production; industrial production; safety and environment.
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