Germany: good news for packaging

The results of the annual survey carried out among its members by the association of German packaging manufacturers (IK – Industrievereinigung Kunstoffverpackungen) are predicting a buoyant first quarter for 2014. Forty one per cent of the companies interviewed (twice the number that took part in last year’s survey) are expecting turnover to increase on 2013 figures. The same level of confidence was expressed in terms of exports. However the unexpected rise in the price of raw materials we saw last December, and the increase in the cost of energy (6.24 eurocent/kW, +20% from January 1, 2014) will bring with them an increase in manufacturing costs starting from March this year. Almost all those interviewed stated that their main concern was energy prices with 63% of IK members already using energy management systems and 83% of the remaining businesses heading in the same direction in the near future.