Italy is a leader in the ceramics industry on a global scale. Italian companies manufacturing and selling ceramic tiles, sanitaryware and tableware have proven to be very successful due to the quality of the materials they use. There are over 300 companies manufacturing ceramic tiles employing over 40,000 individuals in Italy. Most of the products of these companies are destined for export, approximately 75% of these Italian companies’ incomes being generated by exports. Being such a successful industry, the ceramics sector also attracts numerous foreign investments that increase on an annual basis. While foreign investors come to Italy to set up companies, many local companies have expanded their businesses by opening subsidiaries in countries demanding ceramic products manufactured by Italian artisans.
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Italian standards for manufacturing ceramics
The success of the ceramics industry in Italy is primarily based on the artisans’ skills, but also on the high standards imposed by the National Standardization Authority (UNI). Italian companies manufacturing ceramics also respect European and ISO (International Standards Organization) standards. These standards establish the quality of the materials to be used, but also regulates the relations between the manufacturers and the buyers by certifying the characteristics of the ceramic tiles. The same standards have facilitated Italy’s international trading activities with respect to the ceramics industry.
The information provided by the ceramic tiles standards contains the following information:
- – the classification of the materials to be used into groups,
- – the technical features of each group,
- – the methods to be used when manufacturing tiles depending on the materials,
- – the commercial classification of the products.
How to set up a ceramics company in Italy
There are two ways of manufacturing ceramics – by setting up as an Italian sole trader or company. No matter the selected form, one must register with the Italian Companies Register and select the NACE code from the Nomenclature of Economic Activities depending on the material they will use. The following codes are available for manufacturing ceramics in Italy:
- – 26.2 for manufacturing of non-refractory and refractory ceramic goods,
- – 26.21 for manufacturing ceramic household and ornamental articles,
- – 26.22 for manufacturing ceramic sanitary fixtures,
- – 26.23 for manufacturing ceramic insulators and insulating fittings,
- – 26.24 for manufacturing technical ceramic goods,
- – 26.25 for manufacturing other ceramic products,
- – 26.26 for manufacturing refractory ceramic products,
- – 26.3 for manufacturing ceramic tiles and flags.
For a complete list of all NACE codes available for manufacturing ceramics and for company registration, please contact our law firm in Italy.