China at the top for import

The recent CHINAPLAS 2010 fair in Shanghai confirmed the Chinese People's Republic as the world's number one importer of plastics and rubber processing machinery.
In 2009, imports of the major types of machines - excluding the important Indian market, where data for the full year 2009 are not available yet - highlighted a global reduction, often rising into double digits.
As for injection moulding machines, last year's main importers were: China (with a value of over 410 million euros, down 35% from 2008), United States (155 million; -41%), Mexico (154; -20%), Germany (128; -42%), and Thailand (99; -30%). Italy ranked tenth, with 50 million and -33%. Against such an overall negative situation, improvements for a number of major countries stood out sharply: Austria (+43%, up to almost 50 million euros), Slovakia (+24%), and Venezuela (+7%).
In the extruders market, China was once again at the top of the ranks (227 million euros; -5%), followed by Russia (104; -60%), Indonesia (67 million and a considerable +87%), Thailand (61; +2%) and the United States (58; -26%). Italy ranked eleventh, with 28 million and -17%. Other noteworthy cases were South Korea (+5%) and Morocco (+57%, rising to nearly 18 million euros).
The main importers of blow moulding machines were once again China (130 million euros; -22%), United States (70; -34%), Austria (31; +26%), Mexico (30; -34%), and Brazil (27, same value as 2008). Italy was sixth, with over 24 million euros, representing an increase of 22%. Other impressive performers were Romania (more than tripling volume to 11.6 million), the Czech Republic (+55%), and South Korea (+35%).