Japan’s first half

Japanese foreign trade of plastics and rubber machinery is also showing signs of recovery, even though figures are somewhat discordant, depending on the type of machine: +4% for imports and a still uncertain -1% for exports in January-June 2010.However, there is a considerable upswing for exports of injection moulding machinery, with a 62% increase over the first semester of 2009. Sales of injection moulding machines to Hong Kong and China represented 45% of the total, almost equalling pre-crisis levels. Next in line are the United States (11%) and further down the list, but within tenth position, are the main South-East countries. On the other hand, there is a still negative trend (-25%) in injection moulds due to slackened sales to China and the United States.Regarding imports, there are two types of machines that recorded a remarkable positive gap in comparison with January-June 2009: blow moulding machines (+86%) and presses for tyres and inner tubes (+229%). The former were supplied in particular by Germany, France and Italy (in this case with a value of 424 million yen, corresponding to some 2 million euros) whilst the vast majority (97%) of presses for tyres was supplied by Chinese manufacturers.