The European aluminium foil industry ended at a record high last year, posting 3.9% growth measured in terms of deliveries despite a 15% decline in exports amidst pandemic-related disruptions in production and supply, industry group European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA, Düsseldorf, Germany; www.alufoil.org) said.

In 2021, deliveries totalled 967,000 t, compared to the 931,000 t in 2020, while domestic demand rose 12.8% in the fourth quarter alone, and 7.5% for the whole year. Deliveries of thinner gauges, used mainly for flexible packaging and household foils, continued the strong growth trend that started in the third quarter and rose 6% during the last quarter. For the whole year, it climbed by 3%. Thicker gauges, used for semi-rigid containers, technical, and other applications, also finished the year strongly with the October-December demand up 7% year-on-year and almost 6% for all of 2021.

EAFA said the downtrend in exports was more than offset by the strong set of figures for European deliveries. But it expects further disruptions, given the war in Ukraine and the continuing disruptive effects of Covid-19 on production and supply. Supply shortages and surging energy costs are likely to result in increasing the prices for most raw materials and commodities in 2022, it noted.

It added that the dramatic increase in energy costs in 2021 has very direct impacts on all foil-rolling operations and will continue to do so for some time. Combined with high raw material prices, credit insurance lines can become “insufficient”, particularly for small and medium-sized customers, according to EAFA Roller Group chairman, Bruno Rea, who added that the industry, however, is “generally positive about market prospects” for 2022.