In line with estimates published at the end of last year (see Plasteurope.com of 23.12.2011), Italy’s plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers managed to significantly grow exports, the final 2011 tally published by industry association Assocomaplast (Milan / Italy; www.assocomaplast.org) shows. Production levels were up 11% over 2010, with the total revenues generated by machinery exports rising by almost 21% over the previous year to EUR 2.4 bn. Plastics machinery imports also rose, albeit at a smaller rate of 6%, reaching a total value of EUR 605m. By contrast the domestic market remained more or less stagnant, registering a slight year-on-year increase of almost 1% to EUR 1.1 bn.

At close to 59% of overall exports, Europe was the leading destination for Italian plastics and rubber machinery, followed by Asia (19%), North America (9%), Central / Latin America (9%) and Africa (4%). On a country basis, Germany, China, France and the USA remained the leading destination markets for Italian plastics and rubber machinery, although Assocomaplast points out that the largest gains over 2010 were made by Russia, where association members posted a year-on-year rise of more than 60% in terms of exports, to a total value of almost EUR 113m. As a result, Russia now ranks as the fifth most important export market; in 2010 it still stood at rank nine.

Italian manufacturers also significantly grew exports to Poland (up 41% year-on-year), Mexico (36%) and Turkey (34%). Exports to Brazil, by contrast, fell short of 2010, dropping by more than 8% to a total value of slightly more than EUR 90m. Sales to Spain also declined, although at about 2% less than in 2010, the drop was smaller than the one seen in Brazil.

The good export trend continued in the first two months of 2010, a recent Assocomaplast survey found, although the association did discern a certain slackening of this positive development in the last few weeks. Whether this is due to the uncertain economic situation, or just the calm before the country’s leading plastics fair, “Plast” (www.plastonline.org), takes place in May (see also Plasteurope.com of 26.01.2012), remains to be seen.