The Italian sales of plastics and rubber machinery to Mexican processors have been growing steadily and significantly over the past three years: from 85 million euros in 2014, 100 in 2015, to 173 in 2016. This is the best performance ever posted, at least among the top ten Italian export markets for the sector. That’s why Amaplast (Italian trade association of 170 manufacturers of plastics and rubber processing machinery and moulds within Confindustria) is being coordinating the national pavilion at the 21st Plastimagen (Mexico City, 7-10 November 2017), hosting around forty companies in 850 square metres of space. Moreover, at least thirty additional Italian companies take part in Plastimagen 2017, some hosted at the stands of their local agents or branches.

“Such a considerable presence,” highlights Alessandro Grassi, president of Amaplast, “confirms Mexico as one of the top destination markets for Italian plastics and rubber machinery exports: as a matter of fact, in 2016 the country ranked third with a 5.8% share of the total”.

It is also well worth highlighting that a remarkable share of Italian sales to Mexico is represented by extrusion lines and other high value-added core processing machinery that are often custom built to customer specifications. On the one hand, this clearly represents the Mexican processors’ need to upgrade their installed equipment, on the other, the capability of Italian manufacturers to supply advanced turnkey technology for high-quality mass-produced items.

The Mexican manufacturing industry - which is tightly linked to the US economy although tending toward more independent development - is going through a phase of strong growth that is spilling over into other sectors, such as automotive and packaging, which use a great deal of plastics and rubber.

“In any case”, continues Grassi, “this trade fair is a very important showcase for the made in Italy, which stands among the world's top exporting countries in the sector”. The following Amaplast member companies are exhibiting in the Italian pavilion: Bausano, BMB, Borghi, Cantoni, CMS, Dega, Elba, Filtec, Frigosystem, Gamma Meccanica, Gavo Meccanica, Icma San Giorgio, LTL, Macchi, Marra, Meccanica Generale, Moretto, Negri Bossi, Omipa, Plas Mec, Plastiblow, Previero/Sorema, Promixon, Sica, Tecnomatic, and Tecnova.