In the first quarter of this year, the 127 companies that belong to Assosport, Italy's sporting goods industry association improved their sales results, thanks primarily to an estimated jump of 15 percent in their sales abroad, which represent around 75 percent of their total turnover. For all of 2013, the industry's turnover grew by 3 percent, with a 7 percent increase in foreign markets. On the other hand, the industry's profitability deteriorated sharply as operating profits before amortization (Ebitda) fell by 43 percent due to many factors including high personnel, energy and raw material costs, compounded difficult access to credit and the unfavorable evolution of the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.

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