Italian polymer machinery makers eye "record year"

Assago, Italy – The Italian plastics & rubber machinery industry is on track to deliver record sales of €4.8 billion in 2023, according to trade association Amaplast.

Citing preliminary estimates by the Amaplast-MECS statistical study centre, Amaplast said turnover will be up by more than 3% compared to the €4.6 billion reported last year.

The gains are mainly due to a positive trend in exports - which said the trade association had “improved progressively" over the first nine months of this year.

At an estimated €3.4 billion, and accounting for more than 70% of production, exports are estimated to come in 5% higher than the year before, with a modest rise in imports also forecast.

The robust growth in exports was characterised by “a positive trend” in all main machinery types for primary processing, noted Amaplast.

This, it said, included moulds with a 24% market-share and 14% year-on-year growth for the nine months to 30 Sept.

Next came extruders with a 12% share and 22% growth, injection moulding machines with a 5% share and 2% growth and blow moulding machines with a 4% share and a 17% growth.

Over the first three quarter of 2023, Europe confirmed its status as primary destination for Italian polymer processing machinery, with an overall share of 56%.

Demand from Germany, France and Spain respectively grew 7%, 23% 19% year-on-year, while two new countries of Romania (71%) and Czech Republic (38%) entered the top 10 list of importers.

Interestingly, Amaplast noted “a robust increase” in deliveries to Russia, with a 61% growth in demand over the first nine months – despite “all the well-known issues associated with this country.”

Export to the Americas grew 24% year-on-year, helped by a new surge in North American markets, Mexico in particular.

Demand also remained strong in a number of South American markets, with Brazil, Argentina, and Peru leading the table.

The Middle East also showed positive trends, driven principally by Saudi Arabia with 107% year-on-year growth.

Exports to the Far East, on the other hand, saw a "sudden deceleration" with an overall drop of 12%, due essentially to contraction in China at 15% and India at 6%.

Other predominant destinations such as Korea, Japan and Taiwan also reported losses of 61%, 47%, and 68% respectively.

Strong growth in Thailand (140%) and Indonesia (81%), Amaplast noted, was not sufficient to offset the general slump in the Far East market.

Africa also showed an “excellent performance” in the January-September period, now having nearly a 6% share of the total market.