Italian trade association Assocomaplast (Milan; www.assocomaplast.org), which represents about 170 plastics and rubber processing machinery manufacturers, has said that Italian imports and exports of plastics and rubber processing machinery in the first quarter of 2012 showed positive trends compared with the same period in 2011, based on data from the Italian National Statistics Institute (ISTAT; www.istat.it).

Overseas sales increased by 17% year-on-year, although this represents a small fall in growth, due to weakness in exports of extrusion plants and injection moulding machines, while exports of moulds and blow moulding machines improved. Imports rose by 22% year-on-year, an improvement on previous growth data, driven by increased purchasing of moulds and extruders.

Exports to Germany, the highest ranking destination for overseas sales, increased by 19% compared with the first quarter of 2011, reaching almost EUR 90m, with moulds accounting for two thirds of business. Conversely, sales to China dipped by 19%, leading to the nation slipping to third position, with exports valued at EUR 34m. Sales to France, second in the export rankings, increased by 37% year-on-year, to the US by 34%, Poland (up 30%), Brazil (28%), and Turkey (17%).

During its annual assembly in June, Assocomaplast confirmed the presidency of Giorgio Colombo for the 2012-2015 period and reconfirmed Alessandro Grassi as vice-president.