Strong 2021 performance looks set to continue, says Amaplast

2021 was an excellent year for Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery manufacturers, said Italian industry association Amaplast. Amaplast, which based its conclusions on data from the MECS-AMAPLAST Statistical Studies Centre combined with the ISTAT data provided by the Italian National Institute of Statistics.

According to Amaplast, the year closed with double-digit growth in production and equally encouraging results in foreign trade. Production rose 14% - to EUR 4.45 bn - over 2020, mainly due to the excellent performance in the domestic market. Domestic demand jumped 30% to EUR 2.52 bn.

Foreign sales also recorded a significant rebound (+9%), without, however, reaching the 3-billion-euro mark recorded in the years before the pandemic.   Europe. Europe continues to be the most important sales market, although levels were down compared to 2020. Germany remained the top destination market last year, with growth of 9% to EUR 376 mn. Sales to North America, China and India picked up, with especially the increase seen in the latter two markets strengthening the importance of the Asian continent.

Russia, long considered a key market, fell 16% to EUR 80 mn in 2021. Exports to Ukraine, historically a less active market, reached a low of EUR 7.5 mn  - a 39% drop.

To date,  2022 has been shaping well. However, the global situation is making it very difficult to venture forecasts for the coming months, says Amaplast. The lockdowns in China in response to Covid-19 outbreaks are likely to affect logistics and distribution chains, worsening materials shortages and delivery delays.  Essential materials for various manufacturing processes are produced in areas affected by the Ukraine war which has also caused energy prices to skyrocket to levels that are unsustainable for many production chains.

Nonetheless, indeed, Amaplast’s latest member survey on the first quarter of 2022 shows that demand for plastics and rubber processing machinery, equipment, and moulds continues to grow, particularly in foreign markets, with companies reporting a plus of 28% compared to the first quarter of 2021. Furthermore, the outlook was optimistic,with incoming orders expected to grow by another 6-7%.