The final 2010 balance for the Italian plastics and rubber processing and recycling machinery industry shows a firm recovery, even higher than expected in previous forecasts, with respect to 2009. All five of the main indicators for the sector reveal decidedly positive trends, recovering the losses suffered in 2009 compared with the record-year 2008.

Italian machinery, equipment and moulds for plastics and rubber industry (million euros)

2009

2010

∆% 2010/2009

production

3,300

3,600

+9.1

exports

1,833

2,012

+9.7

imports

484

567

+17.2

domestic market

1,951

2,155

+10.5

trade balance (surplus)

1,349

1,445

+7.1

Moreover, Assocomaplast (an Italian trade Association, within Confindustria, numbering about 170 manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery, equipment and moulds) highlights that 2010 turnover posted solely by its own Members recorded even higher growth (around +20%) than the national average.
It is also worth mentioning that, while total exports for the sector increased by 10% compared with 2009, those for core machinery - injection moulding presses, extrusion lines, blow moulding machines etc. - achieved an average increase of 14%, while a +30% jump was posted by extrusion lines.
Regarding the main destination countries for exports, Germany ranks again at the top (+10% with respect to 2009, up to over 310 million euro) while China regained second position (+55%; 130 million).
To support the Made-in-Italy, Assocomaplast is organizing and scheduling for the upcoming months a rather intensive promotional program abroad, not only in the markets which are traditional destinations for Italian exports (São Paulo in Brazil, Guangzhou in China, Toronto etc.) but also in developing areas (Samara in the lower Volga region, Kazan in Tatarstan). At the same time, the Association has started organizing the second European exhibition for next year - PLAST 2012 - which will take place at Fiera Milano on May 8-12.
According to the records set by the previous edition in 2009, more than 1,500 exhibitors from over 40 Countries are expected next year.