2022 balance beyond all expectation: 4.67 billion euros in revenues

2022 balance beyond all expectation:…

The year-end figures for 2022 are official and the picture painted by the MECS Statistical Study Center, which published them, is a year worth framing: the plastics and rubber technology industry represented by Amaplast (Italian association of manufacturers of plastics and rubber processing machinery and moulds) closed the year with a turnover of 4.67 billion euros, the second-best per-formance ever. The variance with respect to 2021 is +5% and the December forecast (4.5 billion) proved to be somewhat cautious. And the balance among Amaplast members was even better (+9% turnover with respect to 2021).

The result is all the more satisfying if compared to the numerous difficulties confronting the in-dustry over the course of the year - some of which are having continuing effects - between export limits to Russia, raw materials and component shortages, and skyrocketing energy costs.

The main driver of this historical result was exports, which showed a particularly positive trend to-wards the end of the year, with a total value again above the threshold of 3 billion euros.

After a most excellent 2021, the domestic market remained relatively stable, with a less pro-nounced increment of 0.8% and turnover of 2.54 billion euros.

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


2021

2022

∆% 2022/2021

Production

4,450

4,670

4.9

Export

2,990

3,250

8.7

Import

1,060

1,120

5.7

Domestic market

2,520

2,540

0.8

Trade balance

+1,930

+2,130

10.4

In detail, exports by the Italian manufacturers - which continue to be the destination for 70% of production - show progressive growth towards the three principal geographical destination zones:

  • Europe (EU and extra EU): +8%
  • Americas: +12%, thanks mainly to South America (+33% overall, with peaks mainly for Brazil and also, albeit with lower absolute values, for Colombia, Chile, and Peru). In North America, sales to the United States have slowed somewhat (-3%) while Mexico has record-ed a strong new rebound (+35%)
  • Asia: +9%. In the Far East (+9% on average), sales to India stand out at +24%, while China has retreated (-7%); in the Middle East (+11% overall) the driving forces are Saudi Arabia (+36%) and the Emirates (+58%).

Contradictory signals are arriving from the African continent, contrary to what was observed for 2021: exports to North Africa fell by 24% on average while those to sub-Saharan markets have in-creased by a similar proportion.

Destination areas of the Italian plastics and rubber machinery, equipment and moulds exports (%)


2021 2022

Europe (UE)

57.1 (45.1) 57.2 (44.8)

North America/USMCA

16.7 16.4

Asia/Oceania

15.7 16.1

Central/South America

4.9 5.8

Africa

5.0 4.5

Top ten destination countries of the Italian plastics and rubber machinery, equipment and moulds exports (000 euros – 2022 ranking)

Countries 2021 %out of total Countries 2022 % out of total

∆% 2022/2021

Germany 368,673 12.4

Germany

422,651

13.0

14.6

United States

358,119

12.0

United States

346,621

10.7 -3.2

Poland

137,892

4.6

Poland

179,765

5.5 30.4

China

159,700

5.4

China

149,271

4.6 -6.5

France

160,128

5.4

France

148,942

4.6 -7.0

Mexico

104,579

3.5

Mexico

141,362

4.4 35.2

Spain

104,845

3.5

Spain

126,302

3.9 20.5

India

87,037

2.9

India

108,252

3.3 24.4

Turkey

89,850

3.0

Turkey

98,491

3.0 9.6

United Kingdom

105,276

3.5

United Kingdom

95,381

2.9 -9.4

total "top 10"

1,676,100

56.2

total "top 10"

1,817,038

55.9 8.4

other countries

1,310,122

43.8

other countries

1,430,174

44.1 9.2

world

2,986,222

100.0

world

3,247,212

100.0 8.7