Assocomaplast estimated sales reached E3.75bn last year

Assocomaplast estimated sales reached E3.75bn last year

Production of Italian plastics machinery grew by nearly 3% last year, buoyed mainly by increased exports. Assocomaplast, the organisation that represents Italian machinery makers, estimated sales of E3.75bn in 2003 – an increase of 2.7% on 2002. This covers primary machinery, ancillaries and moulds. Exports in 2003 accounted for E2.15bn, an increase of 2.8%.

However, imports of plastics machinery fell nearly 11%, to E550m. Domestic sales slumped by a similar amount, to reach E2.15bn. “This shows that Italian plastics and rubber processors were unwilling to invest in new technology,” the association said. On the domestic front, Assocomaplast hinted that machinery makers may reduce their prices in the first quarter of 2004 – because they expect to sell more machines but generate a lower turnover.