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 |
