4 Apr 2023
Exports strengthened over the final months of 2022 and were the main driver
Milan, Italy – Italy's rubber & plastics machinery segment has reported a 5% year-on-year increase in turnover in 2022, to €4.67 billion.
The ‘second-best ever’ annual performance beat an earlier forecast of €4.5 billion announced by trade association Amaplast in December last year.
“The result is all the more satisfying [in view of] the numerous difficulties confronting the industry over the course of the year,” said Amaplast's 31 March statement.
These challenges, some of which are continuing, included limited exports to Russia, raw materials and component shortages, and “skyrocketing energy costs”, it added.
Exports, which strengthened over the final months of last year, were the main driver of the annual growth, contributing €3 billion to the total turnover.
Domestically, turnover rose just under 1% year-on-year to €2.54 billion, following “a most excellent 2021,” said Amaplast.
Imports of machinery, meanwhile, increased 5.7% year-on-year to reach €1.1 billion for 2022.
In terms of exports, covering 70% total production, the EU remained the key market for Italian machinery makers, showing an 8% year-on-year growth.
Germany led the table with a 13% market-share, reporting a 14.6% year-on-year increase in the country's imports of Italian machinery.
The US maintained second position in the buyers table, despite a 3.2% decline in purchases.
Poland, China and France formed the rest of the top-five export markets, although both China and France reported year-on-year declines of 6.5% and 7% respectively.
Poland, on the other hand, increased its imports of Italian-made polymer processing machinery by 30% year-on-year to €180,000.
The Americas, in general, saw a 12.0% increase in demand, helped mainly by South America which registered a 33.0% overall growth.
Sales of Italian machinery to North America also grew, despite lower sales to the US, as demand in Mexico increase 35%.
Asian destinations, bar China, all increased demand, with India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates posting growth of 24%, 36% and 58% respectively.
For the first quarter of 2023, Amaplast said its latest member survey held in early January suggested a 7% year-on-year increase in orders.
Amaplast did not provide a full-year outlook given the existing political and economic uncertainties.
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