Italy's textile and clothing sector posted €58.39bn in turnover for 2025, generated by roughly 37,500 companies and more than 372,000 workers, according to figures circulated at the opening of the 66th Filo yarn exhibition at Fiera Milano Rho.

The data, presented during the show's opening round table, frames Italy as the EU's largest textile producer and Europe's second-largest exporter. The country accounts for approximately 30% of European production and ranks fifth among global exporters.

Why upstream balance is the headline theme

Filo head Paolo Monfermoso acknowledged the difficult industry environment, yet pointed to encouraging attendance signals.

"The sector is going through a challenging situation, with circumstances varying from company to company," Monfermoso said. Exhibitor numbers matched the February edition, he added, and buyer registrations on the opening morning gave the team "grounds for optimism."

No specific order volumes or signed buyer-supplier commitments were disclosed at the opening session. The registration comment remains stage commentary, not booked business.

What the spinners are asking of brands

Three of seven roundtable speakers represented the upstream spinning tier most exposed to cost and capacity pressure. Their demands converged on three points:

• Traceability frameworks that recognise manufacturing contribution
• Pricing structures reflecting sustainability, skill, and innovation costs
• Integration of artisan suppliers into brands' compliance systems

Achille Pinto managing director Cesare Cigolini called smaller artisan firms "central to Made in Italy manufacturing". He said these businesses need the organisational and financial capacity to meet brands' sustainability and traceability requirements.

Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale sales director Michele Pozzi framed the linen chain most directly: "In the world of linen, the future belongs to supply chains that are united, transparent, innovative and responsible," he said, arguing that cohesive chains build participant trust.

Where cost pressure is concentrated

UIB vice president Marco Bortolini, who leads industrial supply chain development, singled out raw materials, energy and labour as the lines squeezing upstream margins. He argued that sustainability, specialist skills and innovation must be more clearly priced into supply-chain contracts.

UIB Spinning Section chair Stefano Aglietta warned that weakening upstream manufacturing capabilities could ripple through the entire textile value chain. He called for greater recognition of skills, specialisation and entrepreneurial diversity within spinning, alongside a rebalancing of price and added value.

What ITA is doing for export channels

Italian Trade Agency Consumer Goods Office head Matteo Masini said ITA's support extends beyond hosted buyer delegations. He outlined year-round assistance through ITA's global office network in markets Italian companies find difficult to access independently.

Where AI, skills and circularity fit

Vimar 1991 HR manager Patrizia Salemi said manufacturers face the dual task of preserving established expertise while accommodating younger employees' expectations. She predicted AI will transform working practices, but argued "people will continue to be the determining factor in competitiveness".

Former Confindustria Moda president Sergio Tamborini framed the transition to a circular economy as "an important industrial opportunity", while cautioning that no single company can manage the shift alone.

What does this mean for sourcing teams?

The sourcing decision the news forces: brand buyers sourcing from the Italian yarn cluster must now assess whether their pricing, traceability and order-volume structures can absorb the upstream industry's demands for cost recognition, or risk losing access to Biella's specialist spinning capacity.

Confirmed procurement commitments were not announced at the opening session. Sustainability claims raised by spinners at the show should be traced by buyers to the specific standard, law or code of conduct they map to before they enter sourcing contracts.