Italian Powersports Industry Wary of Imports
Guidalberto Guidi, president of Associazione Nazionale Ciclo Motociclo Accessori (ANCMA), Italy’s bicycle, motorcycle and accessories association, says proposals and initiatives need to take place at a national level to foster the importation of quality product and, ultimately, fair market competition.
Guidi made the remarks at ANCMA’s recently-held annual meeting, which brought together 170 manufacturers of bicycles, motorcycles and accessories.
Guidi said ANCMA has engaged in a variety of initiatives to promote and safeguard the rights of its associate categories during the past two years.
“We have also launched a very important initiative to ensure sound and fair competition in sectors that are particularly exposed to competitive threats,” Guidi said. “We have asked the EU to apply the safeguard clause in dealing with China, account taken of the principles of free market and fair competition, and have decided to carry out an extensive investigation into the imports from the countries of south-east Asia.”
Guidi noted that safeguards need to be made with garments and accessories, as well, and suggested lawmakers set up a joint committee between the Ministry, ANCMA and consumer associations to “monitor the market systematically, performing sample checks on helmets of all types and brands, and proceeding with the immediate confiscation of products found to be non conforming.”
The motorized two-wheel sector in Italy, Europe’s largest in terms of volume, generates annual sales of 5 billion Euro. Approximately 40% of production is exported.
Guidi noted that deliveries of two-wheelers in 2004 declined 20% from deliveries in 2003. In the field of accessories, he said the helmet sector experienced a downswing in sales of 11.65 % in Italy and 18.95% abroad as it suffered from increasingly aggressive competition by the Chinese manufacturers.
Finally, Guidi spoke about how the International Bicycle and Motorcycle Exhibition of Milan (EICMA) will be held annually for the motorcycle sector starting this year.
He said the decision to update the EICMA show – holding it yearly, instead of alternating with INTERMOT in Germany – “was made during a stage of instability of the European fair system, to reassert the centrality of Italy in the industry and the continental market, laying the foundations for Italian leadership even in specialist fairs.”
“We aim for the leadership in the European trade show scenario,” he said.
