In the January-March 2024 quarter, the industrial situation recorded a decline in Northern Piedmont, with diversified trends in the four provinces that make up this area. On an overall level, production shows a decline of -0.8% compared to the first quarter of 2023, substantially in line with the regional average, equal to -0.4%.
Starting from this year, an analysis of the North Eastern Piedmont area is also available at a sectoral level, according to which the decline in production is affected, in particular, by the strong contraction of the textile-clothing sector (-8.9%) and by the stagnation in metalworking (-0.7%), not compensated by increases in food (+3%) and chemical-rubber-plastic (+4.3%).
The heterogeneous results achieved by the main industrial sectors are reflected in the different provincial performances: Biella records the lowest figure (-3.7%) not only at quadrant level, but also compared to the other provinces of Piedmont; Vercelli and Novara appear substantially stable (-0.2% and +0.1% respectively), while Verbano Cusio Ossola is growing slightly, achieving the most favorable change in Piedmont (+2%).
As regards turnover, there is a generalized decline: -1.5% is the decrease recorded on a total level, with -1.8% in reference to the domestic market and -0.9% for the foreign market. Weighing on the industry, not only at a local level, are problems in global freight transport, still expensive energy and high interest rates.
The survey of the first quarter of 2024 involved a total of 641 companies from Northern Piedmont, for a total of almost 25,000 employees and a turnover exceeding 8.7 billion euros.
FOCUS CONNECTING ROD
In the first quarter of 2024, the Biella manufacturing system recorded an overall decline in industrial production, with marked differences between the different sectors.
In particular, in the period January-March 2024, the change in industrial production compared to the same quarter of the previous year was -3.7%, which places Biella in last place in the Piedmontese ranking, with a regional average at – 0.4%.
The lack of dynamism in the textile sector is an element common to the entire national territory and inevitably penalizes a territory, such as that of Biella, with a strong sectoral vocation. Weaving recorded the greatest decline (-21.4%), followed by finishing (-11.2%), while the contraction was only less marked for spinning (-6.0%).
Mechanical engineering was essentially stable (+0.2%) and other industries showed slight growth (+1.3%). As regards orders, demand from the domestic market is generally decreasing (-4.1%), demand from the foreign market is increasing (+3.1%) with strong differences between the sectors and size classes of companies.
Weak signals also for turnover, which recorded a contraction on a total level (-4.1%) and both in the domestic component (-3.9%) and in the foreign component (-4.2%).
csCamera Commercio Monterosa Laghi, s.zo.
