According to analyses by the Amaplast Statistical Studies Centre of ISTAT foreign trade data, imports +11.4 per cent, exports -0.6 per cent in the period January-September 2018 with respect to the first three quarters of 2017.
The strong growth in imports, while remaining in the double digits, slowed significantly compared to +26 per cent in March and +23 per cent in June.
Exports remained weak, with figures towards the end of the period dipping into negative figures and back into positive by a few decimal points on more than one occasion.
The balance of trade, well in the black at 1.62 billion euros, contracted by five percentage points.
Regarding performance by machinery type, the trend is still positive for injection machines, extrusion lines, and blow moulding machines while dropping off for auxiliary equipment and moulds.
Amaplast
An analysis of exports by region shows major shifts in Asia with the Far East showing growth (+9.7 per cent, led by India and South Korea) while in the Middle East, figures show -37.1 per cent due to falling sales in the main markets of Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, and Israel.
While Central and South America records overall negative numbers of -12.9 per cent.
“The flat trend in sales abroad comes as no great surprise given an overall economic context that is losing vigour, both in Italy and in Europe generally,” said Amaplast President Alessandro Grassi.
“Even our German competitors are coming to terms with an abrupt drop in exports, still in the double digits this past March and June, falling to +4.5 per cent in September.”
The most recent mid-year Amaplast member survey reveals slightly less than half expecting stable turnover at the end of the current half-year, while one third expect continuing growth.
Amaplast
Amaplast says we expect year-end production and foreign trade results for the Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery industry roughly in line with 2017. This must be considered a positive result given that 2017 was the best in the past five years.
The outlook is cautious for 2019 for two reasons, uncertainties about the overall economic climate both in Italy and in Europe and increasing pressure toward a more virtuous production and consumption system in keeping with the principles of the circular economy.
