I import duties steel pots in China are at 18%, while those of theEuropean Union stop at 3,2%. Theunequal competition between Chinese and European housewives – which concerns everything that is Made in China but also made in Türkiye – is all in this decidedly negative comparison. Exports to the Chinese market have always been and still are heavily hindered by this different treatment. On the contrary, a huge wave of Made in China It has invaded the Gd (large-scale distribution) and shops throughout Europe, confining our products to marginal shares, because Chinese producers have always received gigantic funding, almost all of it non-repayable.
We talked about this with Andrea Barazzoni, president of FIAC, the federated association Confindustria Soul representing Italian manufacturers of household, tableware and similar items (cutlery, cutlery, cookware, metal tableware) and president of the historic family business Barazzoni. Kitchen and tableware of Chinese provenance, often entry level and low quality as well as made of quality materials uncertain non-toxicity (the EU does not want to carry out controls), they know no barriers. Not because China is not able to manufacture objects of excellent quality; it is that famous Italian brands, after having relocated, and chains of large-scale distribution and GDO (large-scale retail trade), import household goods in a frenetic race on price, choosing exclusively from Chinese catalogues the “poorest” products. And since the crisis has forced families to choose low-priced products, cheap products conquer Europe. According to Barazzoni, however, the lowering of the level of knowledge by consumers also counts, who often ignore how dangerous it is for health to cook and store food in pots and pans that can release metals and toxic substances.
Not all steel is created equal
About stainless steel, commonly considered the maximum in hygiene and safety, in case you use League 201 (it costs less but releases metals) it is good to know that it should not be used in the kitchen or to store acidic foods. Even worse for so-called non-stick pans: if they are not made in Italy as unfortunately happens with the majority of products on sale in large-scale retail trade, and if they cost little, I’m always at high risk. No warranty, no technical documentation accompanies these non-European household items. Many think that stainless steel is indestructible, that it always remains intact, that it does not release toxic substances. ”There are many steel alloys but not all of them guarantee that toxic substances will not be released.We have always paid great attention to the health of our consumers because a stainless steel pan, having to last a lifetime, must comply with precise and rigid requirements. Just think about how it is used, it is almost always transferred quickly from the very high temperatures of the gas flame to the cold jet of water and then it is also put in the refrigerator … “. And as the experts write, even stainless steel – if it is not the 18/10 of the made in Italy can alter.
Why buy Italian housewares
“Italy has equipped itself with a particularly strict regulations for all household goods, more than the European one – he declares FIRST online Barazzoni – that Italian producers must respect. And this entails costs. And instead for incoming products the necessary controls are inadequate, insufficient, both because the quantities arriving from abroad are enormous and because the Northern European countries, no longer having factories on their territory, have shown themselves to be less sensitive to the problems of Italian, French and even German companies that still maintain manufacturing in Europe. But they are now also less sensitive to quality”. Thus, the export of Made in Italy cutlery, flatware and similar items according to the data processed for FIRST online from the Analysis and Studies Office of the Ice agency, shows a clear slowdown of 2024% in value for the period January-June 9,5.
Exports to Asia and Africa are growing
But with some data that seem to be positive. In the face of the drop in sales in Europe, the veryexport to China recorded a +16,4%, a general increase throughout Asia and even in Africa and in some countries in Central and South America. And this trend is surprising, considering that 90% of the Made in Italy products are high-end and very high-end. “This is explained by the fact that for developing countries theattention to the house and for the well-made furniture – explains Barazzoni – it’s still high, as also happened in Italy 20-30 years ago. And instead now the Italian consumer seems to have become accustomed to low-priced housewares, and does not realize that quality ones exist”. From both Fiac and Ice data, a fact emerges that contrasts with the very positive trend for Italian home exports, especially designer furniture. And that is that Italian exports to the United States of some categories of housewares are modest and declining. “For some time now, the North American market has been made up of products imported from factories relocated to China and many manufactured by historic local companies”.
A 2024 in parity
Analyzing i data collected provided by the Association of which Barazzoni is president, it emerges that almost 60% (57,6%) of our exports of household goods is absorbed by the EU 27 albeit with a very slight decline. But how long will this notable share last? How does the end of the year look like? “The total of our exports, which in 2023 had registered 560 million euros, should be around this figure, despite the heavy fall in April-May coinciding with the worsening of the two wars involving Europe”. And in this regard, how much has the general transport crisis with repeated and very costly blockades by the strict critics of global logistics had an impact, in addition to the two wars, the Ukrainian one and the one in Palestine? Experts have long emphasized how the return of manufacturing delocalized to Asia would be favored.
“The blockade of the straits has caused an increase in transport times and costs for Italian companies that export – Barazzoni replies – but in the long run these interruptions of the maritime routes could favor us. What will be very difficult to achieve is the reconstruction of an industrial fabric with its manufacturing processes and specialized supply chains that were based on knowledge and experience built up over the decades. A fabric that has unfortunately been lost”. Before the wild relocations, Italy boasted great records in the production and exports of household items, including ceramics and porcelain for the kitchen and tableA long-lost record. Meanwhile, from the shop windows and flyers of large-scale retail trade and large-scale retail trade, only fierce price wars stand out, with a stupid competition to offer non-stick pots and pans at the lowest prices, almost all with treatments that are certainly very risky for health, and lots of ugly plates made of very poor ceramic sold as porcelain. Gd has serious responsibilities on the delocalization and on the fall in value and quality of the products, which it often imports directly. Everyone is talking about the huge amount of very low quality and very cheap household goods recently imported from an Asian country by a very entry level large-scale retail chain. So huge that it has quadrupled the total import from that country in just a few months.
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Publish date : 2024-09-30 22:49:00
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