The three major ceramic producers on the continent have submitted a joint request to the European Commission. The goal is to curb the massive influx of Asian products, which, according to manufacturers, compete under unequal conditions. The measure aims to keep alive a key industry for employment and the economy of southern Europe.
Innovation and efficiency: the sector's technological response 🔧
Faced with external competition, European companies have bet on process digitalization and reduced energy consumption. The implementation of more efficient kilns and water recycling systems allows cutting costs without sacrificing quality. Furthermore, the development of low-temperature glazes and advanced digital printing offer a differential value that cheap imports cannot replicate in the short term.
Brussels, are you going to let them pull the rug out from under us? 😤
While Asian manufacturers copy designs and sell them at bargain prices, Europeans are asking Brussels to stop looking the other way. If the Commission does not act, we will soon see imitation tiles made 10,000 kilometers away, but with the same logo as ours. Of course, in time we will learn to tell them apart: the originals last for decades; the copies, until you pay the first mortgage installment.