Extrusion International 2-2025

18 Extrusion International 2/2025 INDUSTRY NEWS Italien Plastics and Rubber Machinery Industry – Year-End Report The Italian plastics and rubber ma- chinery industry experienced a mix of highs and lows in 2024, as shown in the year-end report prepared by the Mecs Study Centre based on for- eign trade data gathered by ISTAT. According to direct surveys con- ducted by the secretariat of Ama- plast, the roughly 160 member companies closed 2024 with a turnover drop of just less than two percentage points compared to 2023. These results follow a vigor- ous post-pandemic rebound, where steady growth marked the 2021 to 2023 period after a relatively mild contraction (-3%) recorded in the dif cult year of 2020. On a more positive note, by the end of 2024, there was a slight yet steady increase (+1%) in the number of employees in Amaplast member companies, reaf rming the indus - try's ongoing commitment to renew- ing and strengthening its structure to cope with the increasingly com- plex challenges in a rapidly evolving global context. This includes the de- velopment of cutting-edge technol- ogies using Arti cial Intelligence and the implementation of servitisation- based systems. The performance of Amaplast members once again shows that the Italian plastics and rubber machin- ery industry is resilient and able to overcome challenges arising at vari- ous levels. Based on these results, Amaplast forecasts an overall three-point con- traction in turnover for the whole sector, compared to 2023. More detailed ndings – broken down by geographic position, company size, machinery type, and application sec- tors – will be presented in the Na- tional Statistical Survey, whichwill be published at the end of June follow- ing the members' assembly. Despite the well-known and in- creasingly numerous geopolitical factors threatening global economic stability, this key segment of Italian industrial machinery has once again managed to limit losses, thanks to the quality of its exports. As a mat- ter of fact, exports increased for the fourth consecutive year, post- ing +1.5%, reaching a total value of 3.62 billion euros. Moreover, a surge in foreign sales registered during the nal quarter of the year, particularly in Decem- ber, prompted an upward revision of previous estimates, which had been based on trends observed up until September. The solid performance of exports, which account for approximately three-quarters of total production, helps tooffset a domesticmarket that is clearly struggling. This is further con rmed by a nearly seven-point decline in imports, which barely ex- ceeded one billion euros – a sharper drop than that recorded the previous year. Italian companies are facing dif- culties in planning and implement - ing the structural investments nec- essary to acquire the technological innovations needed to improve the competitiveness of their production system. Although this situation is ex- acerbated by the delays in the imple- mentation of Industria 5.0 decrees, the recently announced simpli ca - tion measures are expected to ease access to funding and facilitate the application of new policies At a macro level, exports ap- peared weaker in the European quadrant, especially within the EU, and revealed stagnation across the Americas. More positive results were observed in Asia. Focusing on the most important individual markets, supplies to Ger- many declined by around 2% – a relatively modest drop considering the severe economic and industrial crisis the country has been facing. Nonetheless, Germany remains the top destination for Italian exports in this sector. This trend appears even more encouraging when compared to the results of German manufac- turers, who suffered a dramatic 30% collapse in domestic sales and order intake in 2024. Other major European markets that had performed well in recent years, such as Spain and Romania, experienced a slowdown ( 6% and 20%, respectively), while Poland registered a further decline ( 19%). Conversely, demand from Turkey continued to grow (+15%), despite the ongoing expansion of its do- mestic manufacturing industry. Mixed signals were observed in overseas markets, compounded by the recent turmoil caused by tariffs and other protectionist measures threatened, implemented, suspend- ed, and reinstated by the Trump Administration. Compared to 2023, Italian exports of plastics and rub- ber machinery to the United Stated, the sector's second-largest destina- tion, fell by 4%; however, it will take several more months to fully assess the impact any potential new tariff measures may have. On the other hand, further growth was recorded in Mexico, adding to the far more signi cant expansion seen in previ - ous years. Even so, Mexico remains closely tied to its overbearing north- ern neighbour, whose policies direct- ly affect Mexican investment plans. Further South, Italy's exports to Brazil showed excellent perfor- mance, with an 86% increase com- pared to 2023 and a gain of over 120 million euros – an all-time re- cord driven by strong demand for high-tech machinery. In Asia, Italy's two main markets delivered highly satisfactory results, as exports to both China and In- dia increased by 15% compared to 2023. Top ten destination countries of the Italian plastics and rubber ma- chinery, equipment and moulds ex- ports (January-December 2024; mil- lion euros - Δ% 2024/2023). As for the types of primary pro- cessing machinery that contribute most to Italian exports, there was a 7% decline in injection and ex- trusion machines, counterbalanced by the remarkable performance of blow moulding machines, increas- ingly demanded by and delivered to the United States, the United King- dom, France, Turkey, and Poland. Positive trends were also ob- served for exographic printing machines, which grew by 5% and account for 5% of total exports,