Spotlight on the Belgian processing market

The Belgian association Federplast has published the principal indicators for 2012 and forecast for 2013 regarding trends for the local plastics and rubber processing industry. Most importantly, Belgium currently leads the world in pro capita consumption of plastics at 200 kg followed by Germany with 144 and Italy with 117. 
Production is in the hands of just over 300 companies employing a total of 34 thousand persons and has fallen by 2.6% with respect to 2011, mainly as a result of weakness in the domestic market, while exports have increased by a modest 0.4%. Overall revenues have reached a value of 14 billion euros.
Regarding expectations for 2013, the entrepreneurs in the sector are divided into three groups of nearly equal size. Thirty-seven percent fear further worsening of the economic climate, 31% expect conditions to remain stable, and another 31% see recovery on the horizon. The greatest impulse is coming from new markets with respect to those that have already been explored.
The value of Italian exports of plastics and rubber processing machinery to Belgium remained below 23 million euros, representing a 29% decrease with respect to 2011 and a 13% average decrease with respect to the past three years.