The value of Italian textile machinery production for 2011 registered a 9% increase compared to 2010, from 2.4 to 2.6 billion euros. A similar increase was recorded for exports (+10%), which reached a value of just over 2.1 billion euros. Exports remain the driving force behind the sector growth in Italy. The dynamism of major textile markets combined with the ability of Italian machinery manufacturers to assert themselves on a global scale, has contributed to sustaining Italian exports. Fully 25% of the sector's sales abroad are directed to China, with Asian markets generally accounting for