The announcement was made at the ITMA 2023 textile machinery exhibition in Milan – reflecting an increased push to expand the international reach of UK companies.

“Members of our association have had a fantastic time at ITMA this week, and I view joining the ITMF as essential to building on their success internationally going forward,” added BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “We also look forward to participating in the ITMF’s 2023 Annual Conference in Keqiao, China, in November this year.”

“We are pleased to welcome the BTMA as our latest association member and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership going forward,” said ITMF Director General Dr Christian Schindler. “The ITMF was actually headquartered in Manchester in the UK up until the 1960s, so we share long-standing roots. Today, ITMF members are from across the entire textile supply chain, which enables them to gain a better understanding of the full complexity and dynamics of the industry and to fully respond to the opportunities and challenges it faces.”