A main-presser driving apparatus for an automatic binding sewing machine including two sewing needles for carrying out a binding sewing operation and a pair of main pressers for pressing a base cloth on which a binding cloth is to be sewn, the main pressers being supported by a frame of the sewing machine such that the two pressers are opposed to each other and are movable independently of each other along a directional line in which the two pressers advance toward, and retract away from, each other, the driving apparatus including a pair of drive devices each of which includes an actuator for displacing a corresponding one of the main pressers in the above-indicated direction independently of the other of the main pressers, each actuator being controllable to be stopped at a desired operational position; a needle distance specifying device specifying a distance between the two sewing needles; a control command producing device producing, based on the specified needle distance, a control command for each of the two actuators of said pair of drive means; and a control device driving each of the two actuators according to the produced control command and thereby displacing a corresponding one of the two main pressers along said directional line to a position corresponding to the produced control command.