Coffee-making machines are entering a new era. After the downturn recorded in 2020 (-22.1% in values in euros), following the general lockdowns caused by the pandemic, world trade recovered nearly 14 percentage points in 2021, reaching a value of 4.5 billion euros.

Looking ahead to the scenario for 2022-2025, it is expected that a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels will have been achieved by 2023, and by the end of this period the projection is for a value of 5.6 billion euros, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +5.6% in values in euros.

Nel 2021, Italy was once again the top exporting nation (with a share of 21.3%), ahead of Germany (16.1%), Switzerland (11.4%) and the United States (10.3%). The growth recorded by China is worth noting: it rose to fifth place with a share of 7.5%.

The United States is the world’s biggest importer of espresso coffee machinery, accounting for 19.2% of world demand in 2021. Behind it Germany (6.5%), France (4.8%), China (4.7%) and the UK (4.6%).

Italy, the country of coffee

It is no secret that coffee is big business in Italy and the figures certainly do demonstrate its importance to the country’s economy. Italian exports of products relating to the coffee sector reached a new high of 2.6 billion euros in 2021, up 14% on 2020. More specifically, there was a substantial growth in Italian exports of decaffeinated or roasted coffee (+14.1%) and of espresso coffee machines (+14.3%).

For 2022-2025, a CAGR in Italian exports of coffee-related products of +5.5% in values in euros is forecast, with total exports expected to reach nearly 3.3 billion euros.

Italian imports of coffee-related products reached a value of 1,450 million euros in 2021, up 6% on 2020. This resulted in a further improvement in Italy’s balance of trade, which in 2021 reached a value of +1,193 million euros, an all-time high for the sector of coffee products.

The most significant component in Italian imports overall was coffee beans, which accounted for over 77% of total Italian imports regarding the coffee sector.

For 2022-2025 Italian coffee sector imports are expected to achieve a CAGR of 5.3%, reaching a total value of 1,784 million euros. In this context, Italy’s balance of trade in the coffee-related products sector is expected to reach +1,490 million euros by 2025.