Domestic and export markets for plastics and rubber machinery weakened in 2005

Italian production of plastics and rubber machinery – which includes parts and moulds – amounted to E3.7bn in 2005, according to trade association Assocomaplast, representing a 4.4% fall on 2004. In its final report for the 2005 period, the association reveals a 5.7% decline in exports to E2.2bn and a 12.9% fall in imports to E552m. The Italian domestic market is estimated to have shrunk by 5.5% to a value of E2.1bn.

Germany remains the number one destination market for Italian machinery and moulds, accounting for 13% of total exports. However, the second largest export market last year was the US, which at close to 8% of the total has a seen a more than 40% expansion on its sixth place ranking in 2004. Assocomaplast’s more detailed analysis shows a huge decline in mould exports, down by nearly 23% to E491m in 2005. Declines are also recorded in the value of injection machinery exports, which fell by almost 13% to E215m, and in extruder exports, down by 9% to E210m.

Flexographic printing machinery manufacturers lead the list of Italian export growth, pushing value up by more than 25% in 2005 to end the year at E136m.