Although German plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers ended 2013 with sales down 1%, with turnover in core machinery manufacturing just shy of the EUR 6.5 bn achieved in 2012, they are starting 2014 on a highly optimistic note, the latest survey conducted among members of Germany's association for plastics and rubber machinery, VDMA Kunststoff- und Gummimaschinen (KuG, Frankfurt; http://kug.vdma.org), shows. Association chairman Ulrich Reifenhäuser said following a rise in demand in H2 2013, he expects sales to grow by 6% to EUR 6.9 bn this year.

Looking forward to the first half of 2014, he said demand from both western and eastern Europe as well as North America is considered very favourable, adding that there is confidence in the German market, too. Demand from Latin America is also expected to grow. The only reservations expressed by VDMA members during the latest poll concern the markets in Asia – excluding China.

As far as 2013 sales levels are concerned, Reifenhäuser said the result was largely in line with VDMA’s forecast – see also Plasteurope.com of 29.08.2013. “For the year as a whole, incoming orders exactly matched the previous year’s total, albeit with a rising trend," said VDMA managing director Thorsten Kühmann, adding, “As far as domestic orders were concerned, there was ground to be made up throughout the year.” By contrast, demand from abroad stabilised – a trend that became particularly evident in H2 2013. Kühmann pointed out that the rate of growth in orders from countries belonging to the Eurozone especially accelerated sharply.

In the period until November 2013, German plastics and rubber machinery exports rose by 4.1% year-on-year to EUR 4.6 bn. That figure almost constitutes a new record, VDMA said, adding that it will serve to push the export ratio above the 70% mark again. With respect to individual countries, Reifenhäuser said, “China is more than making up for last year’s dip in growth and the US is also growing faster than average.” By contrast, leading Southeast Asian countries like India, Indonesia and Thailand are undergoing a pause in growth. Closer to home, the VDMA chairman said member companies had confirmed solid growth rates in exports to Italy, Spain and Portugal.