Energy and geopolitical tensions alarm the ceramic industry

Energy costs remain the issue par excellence for Italian companies in the ceramic industry. This is demonstrated by the fact that it is precisely energy that will be discussed at the inaugural conference kicking off the 42nd edition of Cersaie, the international exhibition dedicated to the sector, tomorrow. The event will be hosted in the halls of Bologna Fiere until 26 September, with 620 exhibitors expected, almost 40% of whom will come from 29 foreign countries.

US tariffs (set at 15%, as opposed to the 8.6% tariffs already in force) add meat to the fire of the difficulties of this historic phase, not to mention geopolitical tensions in many strategic markets for this sector and the slowdown in the domestic and European markets. But the energy issue remains at the heart of companies' concerns, as Confindustria Ceramica Chairman Augusto Ciarrocchi explains, because high costs risk curbing investment and undermining the competitiveness of Italian companies, which are already grappling with fierce competition from low-cost producers such as the Chinese and, increasingly, the Indians.

But let us go in order and take a look at the data. The Italian ceramic industry (around 250 companies employing almost 26 thousand people in the sectors of tiles, sanitaryware, tableware, bricks and refractory materials) has shown great resilience even in the last year and a half, which has not been easy for many other Italian manufacturing sectors. The total turnover stood at EUR 7.58 billion in 2024, in line with the figures for 2023, with a trade surplus of 5 billion. The first half of 2025 also saw an increase in production in terms of quantity, compared to the first half of last year, albeit with a reduction in terms of value, as was already the case in 2024, particularly for the tile segment, which, with more than 6 billion euros in turnover, represents the ceramic industry's most important item. "In order to maintain our positions on international markets, where we generate 82% of revenues, it has been necessary to lower prices," Ciarrocchi points out, explaining the drop in turnover in the face of an increase in volumes: in 2024, Italian tile sales totalled 378.3 million square metres, up 2.5% compared to 2023, while revenues fell 1.8%.

The same dynamics in the first six months of 2025, which recorded an increase of 1.65% in quantity and a decrease of 0.7% in value. "The entrepreneurs' choice was to preside over the markets in which we are present, so as not to leave the field to low-cost production," adds Ciarrocchi.

Low-cost products that are now also worrying because of the possible increase in sales to the European Union as a result of Trump's protectionist measures. Beyond the direct effects on sales of Italian-made ceramics in the most important non-European market for our industry, the US tariffs could in fact push Chinese and Indian producers to direct their goods towards EU countries, also taking advantage of the limited measures to protect European production. "Despite the slowdown of the last few years and the difficulties of our main partners, France and Germany, Europe remains a very important market, with over 400 million inhabitants, an ideal taste and spending capacity for Made in Italy products,' observes Ciarrocchi, who also emphasises the signs of recovery in German demand in recent months. 'We cannot think of letting low-cost productions enter this market, often made in dumping and which do not have the same requirements as European products, especially from the point of view of environmental and social sustainability.