With 26 exhibitors, Italy was the country with the largest participation at Plast Alger & Printpack Alger (April 6-8, Algiers). The visit of Michele Giacomelli, the Italian Ambassador, and Giuseppe Agostinacchio, the director of ICE (Italian Trade Promotion Agency) in Algeria, underlines the strong presence of one of Algeria's closest European neighbours.
Giacomelli said: "With more than 6 billion dollars, Italy is Algeria's third most important supplier. Main export items are mechanical engineering products and consumer goods. The excellent historical relations between our two countries are confirmed by the extremely strong presence of 26 exhibitors at Plast & Printpack Alger 2014. This exhibition has become ever more important for a regular exchange between Italian companies and their Algerian partners".
Amongst the Italian exhibitors, 12 were the Assocomaplast (Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery and equipment manufacturers' association) members at the fair: Amut, Bandera, Bausano, Cantoni, Dega, Dolci Extrusion, IPM, Macchi, Marra, Meccanoplastica, Moretto, Tecnomatic.
Plast Alger closed on a very positive note, setting its record numbers in all parameters (exhibitors, visitors and quality):
- number of trade visitors up 29% to 3,083 in 2014, compared to 2,388 visitors in 2012;
- high decision makers rate amongst visitors: 70%;
- number of exhibitors up 54% to 161 exhibitors from 24 countries in 2014, compared with 104 exhibitors in 2012.

This, however, comes as no surprise as Algeria has confirmed its position as one of the top four importers of plast print & pack technology and of raw materials for the plastics and packaging industry on the African continent.
During the closing ceremony, the Minister of Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Amara Benyounes declared: "These shows are extremely important for Algerian companies because they allow the exchange on technology and management topics and they can lead to a great number of valuable partnerships. The future of the Algerian industry is based on partnerships with leading foreign companies. And don't forget: Algeria is the largest market in North Africa and we are the most stable country in the region".