Battle of the giants: Italy, Germany and China redefine the global wood technology market

A new world order in the wood technology industry

Recent figures published by Acimall, the association of Italian wood technology manufacturers, shows us a new global market dynamic in 2024. China has overtaken Germany for the second time, taking the leading position in world exports, while Italy is striving to maintain its strategic position in an increasingly competitive market.

Export X-ray: Who's in charge and where?

Total value of exports in 2024:

ChinaEUR 2,520.788 million (+9.3% compared to 2023)
GermanyEUR 2,485.889 million (-11.6% compared to 2023)
Italy1,550.436 million euro (-8.1% compared to 2023)

These figures show a significant shift in the balance of industry power. While China's exports continue to grow, both Germany and Italy are falling, albeit at different rates. It is worth noting that despite ranking third in terms of volume, Italy recorded a smaller fall than Germany, suggesting a greater resilience to current market challenges.

Main export markets by country

Italy:

United States177.233 million (-4.3%)
FranceEUR 175.710 million (+19.0%)
Germany121.598 million (-2.4%)
PolandEUR 110.643 million (+1.7%)
SpainEUR 78.017 million (+10.0%)

Germany:

United StatesEUR 362.917 million (+1.5%)
ChinaEUR 213.292 million (-18.0%)
France168.282 million euro (-14.3%)
Austria161.015 million (+33.3%)
Poland108.724 million (-28.8%)

China:

Vietnam: 357.306 million euro (+27.5%)
United States348.032 million euro (+2.11 Q3Q3)
Russia224.382 million euro (+2.0%)
Germany150.198 million (-0.7%)
India114.494 million (-3.0%)

These data reveal interesting global trade patterns. The United States remains a key market for all three major exporters, but with different developments. While German exports to the US increased slightly (+1.51 TP3T), Italian exports to the US fell moderately (-4.31 TP3T).

France represents a notable success for Italy, with an impressive growth of 19%, consolidating its position as the second most important market for Italian technologies. Italy's exports to Spain also recorded a significant increase of 10%.

In the case of China, Vietnam became the main partner, with a spectacular growth of 27.5%, reflecting China's geographic strategy of first consolidating its influence in South-East Asia. It is also notable that Russia ranks third for Chinese exports, suggesting that geopolitical tensions and Western sanctions are opening up new opportunities for Chinese manufacturers.

A particularly interesting case is Egypt, which has become the eighth largest export market for Germany with a staggering increase of 796.3%, from €9.751m in 2023 to €87.394m in 2024.

Import patterns and global interdependence

Alongside exports, changes in import patterns complete the picture of industry transformation:

Italy's imports in 2024:

Total: € 228.158 million (-25.1%)
From Germany: €83.770 million (-46.8%)
From China: €40.255 million (+36.3%)
From Spain: €14.247 million (+41.0%)

Germany's imports in 2024:

Total: €629.095 million (-9.0%)
From China: €178.128 million (+0.1%)
From Italy: €84.262 million (-23.6%)
From Poland: €79.557 million (-3.7%)

China's imports in 2024:

Total: € 189.103 million (-18.5%)
From Germany: €99.413 million (-22.9%)
From Italy: €29.640 million (-0.4%)
From Taiwan: €14.538 million (-4.0%)

These figures show important trends: Italy's imports from Germany plummeted by almost 47%, while those from China rose by more than 36%. Germany remains Italy's top technology supplier, but the gap is closing fast.

Italian exports to China, on the other hand, remain remarkably stable (-0.4%), despite the general decline in Chinese imports, suggesting a continued appreciation of the quality of Italian technology in the Chinese market.

What do the figures say about product quality?

A deeper analysis of the figures reveals transformations not only in volumes but also in perceptions of quality. According to Dario Corbetta, director of Acimall: "Chinese cars are not only increasingly satisfying the quantity and quality requirements of the Chinese market, but are also becoming more and more attractive abroad, not only for the price, but also for a quality that is starting to compare with the standards of more established suppliers."

This is perhaps the biggest challenge for European manufacturers, who have traditionally relied on technological and quality superiority to justify premium prices.

The impact of the trade war and tariff inconsistency

A major factor complicating strategic planning for all industry players is the trade war triggered by the US administration. Acimall's press release explicitly mentions "concerns about tariffs introduced by the United States" among the factors influencing the industry's evolution.

This tariff inconsistency creates an unpredictable business environment in which it becomes almost impossible to build a medium and long-term strategy. Companies have to navigate in an ever-changing trading landscape where the rules of the game can be suddenly changed by political decisions.

For European manufacturers, this multiplies the existing challenges. Not only do they have to compete with increasingly advanced Chinese technology, but they have to do so in an environment of tariff uncertainty that can suddenly wipe out competitive advantages or close important markets overnight.

For Italy, the third market force, the challenge is threefold: to catch up with Germany, find strategies to counter China's rise, and develop flexibility to cope with the unpredictability of tariffs. The impressive growth in exports to France (+19%) offers a potential model: diversifying markets and focusing on regions with tariff stability, where quality, service and long-standing relationships can offset both the price advantage of Asian competitors and the risks associated with tariff instability.

Models for adapting to the new global reality

Looking at the data, we can identify different coping strategies:

China's Asian model: Focus on regional markets (Vietnam +27,5%, Thailand +88,7%, Brazil +55,4%), combined with a quality-upgrade strategy allowing penetration in mature markets.
The German diversification model: Pivot to emerging markets with spectacular growth (Egypt +796,3%, Canada +19,4%) to offset losses in traditional markets (China -18,0%, France -14,3%).
The Italian resilience model: Consolidation in stable European markets (France +19,0%, Spain +10,0%, Turkey +18,1%) and maintaining relations with Asian partners (China +2,0%).

These strategies reflect different responses to common industry challenges: competitive pressure, geopolitical instability and tariff uncertainty.

Conclusions for the global market

As the wood technology industry continues to evolve, it is becoming clear that we are at a time of redefining traditional roles. China is no longer just the 'world's factory' producing cheaply and en masse, but a serious competitor in the medium and high quality segments.

For European companies, the message is clear: adapting to this new reality requires not only technological innovation, but also a rethinking of market strategies, with a focus on:

Strategic flexibility - Ability to pivot quickly in response to tariff and geopolitical changes
Diversifying markets - Reduce dependence on volatile markets by expanding global presence
Continuous innovation - Maintaining a technological lead to justify the price difference
Value-added services - Providing advice, technical support and customized solutions
Local partnerships - Developing strategic alliances to navigate the complex tariff landscape

In this new world order, where tariff uncertainty adds an extra layer of complexity, survival will depend not only on the ability to produce better machines, but also on strategic agility and the ability to anticipate and adapt business models to the rapidly changing global trading environment.

As Acimall's figures suggest, the companies that successfully navigate this complex landscape will be the ones that shape the future of the wood technology industry.