Short-staple spindle shipments rose 3.3% to 6.11 million units in 2025, the clearest growth standout in a textile machinery market where draw-texturing fell 23%, shuttle-less weaving dropped 27.5% and knitting contracted by double digits, the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) said in its 48th annual International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics (ITMSS) released this month.

The survey covers six machinery categories and compiles data from more than 200 manufacturers worldwide. The split between upstream expansion and downstream contraction points to a supply chain investing selectively — adding yarn capacity while holding back at fabric-forming.

Where did the year-on-year decline hit hardest?

Draw-texturing machinery absorbed the steepest cuts:

• Global draw-texturing spindle deliveries fell 23% year-on-year.
• Single-heater units, used mainly for polyamide filaments, dropped 21% from 83K to 65K.
• Double-heater units, the polyester-filament workhorse, fell 22% to 743K.

Asia & Oceania absorbed 97.6% of single-heater shipments and 98% of double-heater units. China alone took 92% and 93% of those global volumes respectively.

What happened in weaving and knitting?

Shuttle-less loom shipments declined 27.5% to 164K units. Water-jet looms fell 38% to 88.5K, air-jet units dropped 6% to 54.6K, and rapier and projectile machines slid 18% to 20.5K. Asia & Oceania took 95% of all shuttle-less loom deliveries. China remained the principal investor in air-jet (-32%) and water-jet (-57%) categories, while India pushed rapier and projectile shipments up 21%.

Large circular knitting machine deliveries fell 13% to 24.5K units. Electronic flat knitting machines contracted 21% to 106K. China absorbed 53% of large circular knitting shipments (11.7K units, +9% year-on-year) and 66% of electronic flat knitting units. India and Vietnam ranked second and third in large circular knitting, with 4.1K and 1.8K units respectively.

Why did spinning buck the trend?

Short-staple spindle shipments rose to 6.11 million units, an increase of 195K machines over 2024. Open-end rotor deliveries grew 3.5% to 645K, a gain of roughly 50K units. Asia & Oceania absorbed 95% of short-staple spindle volumes and 94% of rotor deliveries.

The six largest short-staple investors in 2025 were China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. China, India and Vietnam led rotor investment, with deliveries rising 4%, 12% and 17% respectively. Two notable reversals: rotor shipments to Türkiye collapsed 78% and to Bangladesh fell 55%.

Regional short-staple shipment moves:

• North and Central America: +264% to 77K units.
• Africa: -46%.
• Europe including Türkiye: -33%.
• South America: -19%.

Where did finishing sit in the cycle?

The finishing segment overall rose 8%, though results diverged within the category. Stenters in the fabrics-continuous sub-segment rose 3% to 2.3K units. Singeing lines dropped 75% while mercerising lines grew 24%. In fabrics-discontinuous, overflow dyeing units rose 30% to 2.9K, while air-jet dyeing slipped 0.6% to 902 units and jigger/beam dyeing fell 28% to 269 units.

The long-staple (wool) spindle segment, a niche downstream of carpet and worsted yarn production, fell 31% to 90K units. Asia & Oceania took 76K of those units — about 55% of 2023's deliveries — with China at 46%, India at 19%, and Iran at 16%.

What does the data force on sourcing teams?

The ITMSS sets up a bifurcated capex cycle for 2026 planning. Mills adding yarn capacity in China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and Pakistan continue to lift spinning order books, while capital-goods suppliers to weavers, knitters and texturers in those same markets face a thinner pipeline. Procurement teams tracking nearshoring claims should also weigh the North and Central American surge to 77K short-staple spindles and the 21% lift in Indian rapier and projectile loom deliveries — concrete signals of where fabric-forming capacity is being laid down for the next sourcing cycle.