‘We need internationalisation tools to explore new destinations, starting with the Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but also India and Brazil’: with these words Claudio Feltrin, President of FederlegnoArredo, commented on the export data of the wood-furniture supply chain presented during his speech at the Salone del Mobile.Milano conference.

According to data processed by FederlegnoArredo's Study Centre based on ISTAT data, exports of the wood-furniture supply chain closed 2024 with a 2.1% drop on 2023, settling at about 19.4 billion euros. However, the furnishings macro-system contained the losses better with -1.8%, reaching a value of EUR 14.4 billion, confirming the strategic role of furnishings for the resilience of the entire sector.

'A break-even with 2023,' said Feltrin, 'would have been an extraordinary result, given the international situation. For a strongly export-oriented sector like ours, the geopolitical events that characterised 2024 and which, alas, continue into the early months of '25, inevitably had an impact. One only has to look in detail at the performance recorded in our main outlet markets to understand that that -2.1% takes on a positive value compared to the global context'.

Italian exports: strong downturns among EU countries

In the Top Ten destinations for Italian exports, strong downturns are recorded above all among EU countries: France, with more than 3 billion, remains the leading country, but records -3.3%; while Germany, in third place, loses a consistent 6%, touching 2 billion euros. Outside the EU countries, the United States remains in second place (EUR 2.2 billion) with +1.5%. China, while maintaining seventh place, recorded -13.2%. In fourth place we find the United Kingdom with -6.4%, followed by Spain, almost stable (+1%) at EUR 0.8 billion. The United Arab Emirates takes eighth place with an increase of a good 21.2%, but with absolute values still low (EUR 0.5 billion). This is followed by Belgium, which is essentially stable (+0.7%) and Austria, which, like Germany, records -6%.

Identifying new routes

Analysing the data, Feltrin emphasises that "among the five countries where the supply chain grows the most in absolute value, in first place we find the United Arab Emirates with +21.2% and a growth of 82.4 million euros, followed by Kyrgyzstan (which however stops in 38th place with a value of 80 million) and grows by about 46 million with +139.5%. Third in terms of increase is Saudi Arabia (in 13th place) with +16.9% or EUR 41.6 million more, followed by South Korea (21st place) with a positive gap of EUR 34.4 million, and the United States closes with +1.5% or EUR 31.9 million more.

Also among the five countries in which the furniture macro-system grows the most in absolute value, we find the United Arab Emirates in first place with an increase of Euro 73.2 million or 22.2% and a market worth Euro 402 million. Kyrgyzstan is second with EUR 44.5 million increase, which in percentage terms corresponds to +140% of a market worth EUR 76.4 million. Saudi Arabia is third, with about 31 million euro more and a growth of 14.6%. Spain and Poland close with a positive gap of Euro 25 and 22 million respectively (+4.1% and +9.7%).

'With a European market showing clear signs of retreat,' Feltrin concludes, 'and the US proving to be resilient in 2024, but the Trump presidency could completely change the scenario, it is essential to put in place tools to identify new routes. The real challenge will be to understand where to point the compass'.

Interesting countries include India, which, although still in 29th place, has seen its volume almost double from 2013 to 2023 (from 69 million to 112 million); Brazil, which now ranks 54th, has also recorded a +30.3% increase from 26 million in 2019 to 38 million in '24.