The Italian textile and fashion industry will be launching its assault on Far Eastern markets by bringing its products directly into the den of the Chinese dragon, and taking part in the 2009 Intertextile Shanghai. The ambitious operation, coordinated by the Italian Trade Commission (ICE), will see the participation of 50 manufacturers of fabrics for clothing and soft furnishings in a pavilion dedicated to the Italy.

The Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics event, the most important in Asia for the textiles sector, will be held from 20 to 23 October 2009 in the New International Exhibition Centre in Shanghai, China’s productive and commercial heart. Apart from the Italians, more than 2,000 exhibitors will be present in the 110,000 square metres of exhibition space, organised by the Chinese association of textile manufacturers and retailers and by Messe Frankfurt. This year the Italian pavilion will be characterised by the special design of the stands and the project, and will host a "fashion trends" textile area, with the aim of impressing the thousands of professional visitors for whom the event is reserved. This year’s edition, which will see the presentation of the 2010/2011 autumn/winter collections, will be attended not only by manufacturers of the whole range of natural and synthetic materials (cotton, silk, linen, knits, synthetics, artificial and coated fabrics) but also by firms producing accessories, fibres and threads, services and sector publications. Women’s clothing fabrics and accessories attract particular interest, thanks to the quality guaranteed by the Made in Italy brand.

The 2008 edition was attended by as many as 49,000 visitors, including professionals and big buyers from all over Asia, and just as many are expected to attend this year. The pavilion organised by the ICE will host manufacturers of various types of clothing textiles, including the largest producers of combed and carded wool, factories producing cotton for shirts, and design studios.

The Italian textiles industry represented in Shanghai is of worldwide excellence, and is internationally recognised as a synonym of the right balance between high quality and the right price. There are 70,000 Italian textiles firms, which provide 700,000 jobs in Italy and abroad. In 2008 these firms recorded an overall turnover of 66,5000 million Euros, contributing to keep the sector's commercial balance positive with a surplus of exports over imports of 16,000 million Euros. In fact, Italy is the second world exporter of textile products, after China and followed by Germany and Hong Kong. China and Hong Kong together represent the second most important outlet market for Italian textiles. The Italian business scenario for textiles is formed, apart from a few international groups, by many small and medium sized businesses which provide a concentration of the high levels of professionalism, know-how and attention to product which have made Italian textiles and fashion famous worldwide. These small businesses have been particularly hard hit by the financial crisis, but are ready to launch their comeback right in their most difficult terrain, challenging the Asian and international industries present in Shanghai from 20 to 23 October.