The Italian packaging machinery industry is set to close 2025 with moderate growth and rising uncertainty, as strong exports offset a late-year slowdown in new orders. According to preliminary figures released by Ucima, the sector’s turnover reached €10.2 billion, up 2.1% compared with 2024, supported by foreign demand and a resilient domestic market.
Exports remained the main driver of the industry, accounting for nearly 80% of total revenues. Overseas sales rose to €8.1 billion, marking a 1.5% increase year on year, while the Italian market grew more sharply, reaching €2.1 billion (+4.5%). The overall performance reflects a solid production base carried over from 2024, when order books covered an average of 7.6 months of activity.
However, the final quarter of the year signalled a shift in momentum. Companies reported a slowdown in incoming orders, particularly from international clients, as geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainty weighed on investment decisions. Rising trade barriers in some key markets, combined with currency volatility and persistent supply-chain disruptions, have begun to erode confidence and compress margins.
Despite the cooling demand, Ucima described the sector as structurally sound and technologically competitive. Italian packaging machinery continues to rank among the country’s strongest manufacturing exports, benefiting from high levels of automation, customization and process efficiency.
Commenting on the outlook, Ucima president Riccardo Cavanna said that 2025 marks a turning point for the industry. “The slowdown in orders reflects a deeper transformation of global competitive dynamics,” he noted, pointing to protectionist trends, currency instability and ongoing conflicts as factors reshaping international industrial balances.
Cavanna also stressed the need for a coordinated European response, echoing broader calls from Italian industry for policies that safeguard manufacturing supply chains and ensure fair competition. Looking ahead, he identified digitalisation, sustainability, artificial intelligence and advanced services as the key levers for maintaining competitiveness and navigating a more volatile global market.
While growth remains positive, the data suggest that the packaging machinery sector is entering a more cautious phase, in which export strength alone may no longer be sufficient to sustain expansion without clearer geopolitical and industrial policy signals.