Foreign deliveries by German plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers saw a robust recovery in 2010. However, exports fell far short of the record achieved in 2008, despite annual growth of over 25%. “There is a chance that the gap may of course close again this year. German export deliveries had risen by 46.5% by the middle of 2011,” said Ulrich Reifenhäuser, chairman of the German machinery association VDMA (KuG, Frankfurt / Germany; www.kug.vdma.org).

The countries with the biggest sales markets all had growth rates significantly above average. China remains the industry’s largest export market with a 67% increase, followed by the US with 60%, India with 95%, Russia with 80%, Mexico with 97% and Turkey with 87%. The industry’s sales were up 35% in the first half of 2011. “Based on the current forecast, sales will rise by 18% over the year as a whole,” said Thorsten Kühmann, VDMA’s managing director. “However, in the light of the figures for the year to date, growth may in fact top the 20% mark. The industry as a whole will therefore reach its all-time high again and is even set to exceed it.”

VDMA said the positive sales trend is expected to continue in 2012. New orders were up by a further 23% in the first six months of 2011, with orders from customers in Germany rising by 21% and abroad by 24%.