Trends in knitting

Circular knitting

The market for circular knitting machinery can be divided into two segments:

● single jersey circular knitting machinery; and

● double jersey circular knitting machinery.

Global shipments of single jersey circular knitting machinery declined by 1.4% to 9,235 machines in 2016 after falls of 3.4% in 2015, 56.7% in 2014 and 1.3% in 2013.

As a result, shipments in 2016 were down to their lowest level since 2003, having fallen from a record high in 2012.

The decline in shipments in 2016 was due primarily to a 20.6% fall in shipments to the textile industry in China.

However, there were also sharp declines in shipments to the textile industries in several other countries—including Malaysia (down by 80.0%), Ethiopia (down by 52.8%), Honduras (down by 50.0%), Brazil (down by 34.4%), South Korea (down by 34.2%) and Egypt (down by 27.8%).

By contrast, there was strong growth in shipments to the textile industries in a number of other countries, including the UAE (up by 2,600.0%), Djibouti (up by 328.6%), Poland (also up by 328.6%), Ukraine (up by 283.3%), Pakistan (up by 242.4%), Russia (up by 141.7%), Japan (up by 121.4%), Spain (up by 106.7%), Sri Lanka (up by 96.3%), Germany (up by 85.7%), Iran (up by 77.6%), Taiwan (up by 65.3%), Thailand (up by 51.6%), Vietnam (up by 32.6%) and Bangladesh (up by 32.1%).

Regionally, the textile industries in Asia took as much as 84.5% of global shipments. However, this share was down slightly from 84.7% in the previous year as shipments to these industries declined by 1.7%.

Elsewhere, the textile industry in other Europe (Turkey) took 5.2% of global shipments. Next in importance were the textile industries in Africa (with a 2.6% share), followed by those in South America (with a 2.5% share), Western Europe (with a 2.0% share), North America (with a 1.7% share) and Eastern Europe (with a 1.4% share).

Among individual countries, the textile industry in China was the largest market, having taken 36.0% of global shipments, although this share was down from 44.7% a year earlier as shipments to the industry declined by 20.6% in 2016.

The second largest market was the textile industry in India with a 16.0% share of global shipments (up from 14.4% in 2015), followed by the industry in Bangladesh with a 12.0% share (up from 8.9% in 2015), the industry in Vietnam with a 5.9% share (up from 4.4% in 2015) and the industry in Turkey with a 5.2% share (up from 4.6% in 2015).

Global shipments of double jersey circular knitting machinery declined by 3.3% to 16,924 machines in 2016 following a 7.0% fall in 2015.

However, the fall in 2015 came after increases in five of the previous six years. As a result, shipments in 2016 were still at their third highest level on record.

The decline in shipments in 2016 was due primarily to a 21.1% fall in shipments to the textile industry in China.

However, there were also sharp declines in shipments to the textile industries in several other countries—including Uzbekistan (down by 65.5%), Ethiopia (down by 63.9%), Singapore (down by 55.3%), Malaysia (down by 34.1%), Russia (down by 33.3%), the USA (down by 19.3%), Mexico (down by 17.9%), Peru (down by 16.7%) and South Korea (down by 16.2%).

By contrast, there were increases in shipments to the textile industries in a number of other countries, including Kazakhstan (up by 4,300.0%), the UAE (up by 3,525.0%), Mauritius (up by 416.7%), Djibouti (up by 355.6%), Portugal (up by 323.8%), Belgium (up by 180.0%), Pakistan (up by 132.4%), Sri Lanka (up by 94.9%), Poland (up by 88.9%), Morocco (up by 75.0%), Iran (up by 61.5%), Spain (up by 45.0%), India (up by 44.1%), Bangladesh (up by 42.9%) and Indonesia (up by 35.5%).

Regionally, the textile industries in Asia took as much as 89.0% of global shipments. However, this share was down slightly from 89.3% in the previous year as shipments to the industries declined by 3.6%.

Elsewhere, the textile industry in other Europe (Turkey) took 3.1% of global shipments. Next in importance were the industries in Africa (with a 2.5% share), followed by those in Western Europe (with a 2.3% share), North America (with a 1.3% share), South America (with a 1.2% share) and Eastern Europe (with a 0.5% share).

Among individual countries, the textile industry in China was the largest market, having taken 46.2% of global shipments in 2016. However, this share was down from 56.7% a year earlier as shipments to the industry declined by 21.1%.

The second largest market was the textile industry in India with a 16.3% share of global shipments (up from 10.9% in 2015), followed by the industry in Bangladesh with a 6.3% share (up from 4.3% in 2015), the industry in Vietnam with a 4.9% share (down from 5.0% in 2015) and the industry in Indonesia with a 3.5% share (up from 2.5% in 2015).

Flat knitting

Global shipments of electronic flatbed knitting machinery shot up by 99.1% to 139,636 machines in 2016 following jumps of 52.1% in 2015 and 31.0% in 2014. As a result, shipments in 2016 reached a record high.

The rise in shipments in 2016 was due primarily to a 186.3% surge in shipments to the textile industry in China.

However, there was also strong growth in shipments to the textile industries in several other countries—including Venezuela (up by 2,525.0%), Mongolia (up by 450.0%), Ukraine (up by 254.1%), Germany (up by 156.0%), Turkey (up by 124.4%), Russia (up by 123.0%), Vietnam (up by 98.4%), Spain (up by 90.1%), Pakistan (up by 71.9%), Mexico (up by 70.3%), Italy (up by 55.0%), Indonesia (up by 54.7%), Argentina (up by 51.5%) and Kenya (up by 46.5%).

By contrast, there were sharp declines in shipments to the textile industries in a number of other countries, including Myanmar (down by 51.0%), Sri Lanka (down by 50.4%), Mauritius (down by 47.1%), India (down by 25.7%), the USA (down by 22.1%), Kazakhstan (down by 21.1%), Malaysia (down by 11.5%) and Hong Kong (down by 11.0%).

Regionally, the textile industries in Asia took as much as 94.1% of global shipments. Furthermore, this share was up from 92.7% in the previous year as shipments to these industries shot up by 102.1%.

Elsewhere, the textile industry in other Europe (Turkey) took 2.1% of global shipments. Next in importance were the industries in Western Europe (with a 1.5% share), followed by the industries in Eastern Europe (with a 0.8% share), South America (with a 0.7% share), Africa (with a 0.5% share) and North America (with a 0.3% share).

Among individual countries, the textile industry in China was the largest market, having taken 72.7% of global shipments. Furthermore, this share was up from 50.6% a year earlier as shipments to the industry surged by 186.3%.

The second largest market was the textile industry in Bangladesh with a 12.1% share of global shipments—although this was down from 23.6% in 2015 as a result of the surge in shipments to the textile industry in China (see page 7). Next in importance was the industry in Vietnam with a 2.6% share (unchanged from 2015), followed by the industry in Turkey with a 2.1% share (up from 1.9% in 2015) and the industry in India with a 2.0% share (down from 5.5% in 2015).