‘Machines and moulds for rubber’ contributed EUR 246m to last year’s polymer processing equipment revenues. Italy’s rubber processing equipment sector achieved a 26% year-on-year increase in sales in 2021, newly issued industry data shows. Overall, polymer-processing machinery revenues totalled EUR 4,025.9 million in 2021, 72.4% of which was generated from exports, noted a report released 7 July by MECS-AMAPLAST Study Centre. ‘Machines and moulds for rubber’ contributed 6.1% (EUR 245.6 million) of the revenue total, 85% of which came from exports, according to the report based on official figures. In 2020, rubber machinery had a 5.4% share of overall sales in 2020, when rubber machinery and moulds generated sales of EUR 194.6 million. Overall, plastics & rubber equipment imports at EUR 1,050 million increased 36,4% year-on-year in 2021, following declines of -15.4% and 9.9% in 2020 and 2019 respectively. There was a less marked bounce in exports: lifting by 9.2% to EUR 2,980 million, after declines of 15.4% and 5.8% in the previous two years. The 2021 trend for Italian exports by geographical area showed year-on-year increases in sales to: North America up 26.6%; Central/South America, 8.1%; EU, 7.7%; Other Europe, 4.4%; Asia, 4.0%; Africa/Oceania, 1.8%
Italy’s trade balance in plastics & rubber machinery, therefore, remained in positive territory, at EUR 1,930 million, though 1.5 percentage points below the prior-year figure. The top markets for Italian machinery (by percentage share) grew/declined by: Germany (12.6%) +9.5%; US (12.1%) +33.1%; China (5.4%) +11.6%; France (5.3%) +3.9%; Poland (4.5%) -11.9%. These overseas markets were followed by: UK (3.5%); +8.0%, Mexico (3.5%) +7.0%; Spain (3.4%) -28.0%; Turkey (3.0%) +16.35; India (2.9%) +32.5%. Last year’s top three exporters of polymer machinery were: China, EUR 9,053 million (+5.2% year-on-year); Germany, EUR 6,914 million (+9.8%); Italy, EUR 2,980 million (+9.2%). The top importers in 2021 were: US, EUR 4,969 million (+12.2%); China, EUR 3,906 million (-4.2%); Germany, EUR 2,099 million (+9.4%); Mexico, EUR 2,058 million (+0.4%); and India, EUR 1,613 million (+37.9%). By end-use customer sector, the MECS-AMAPLAST report profiled the 2020 rubber machinery market as being dominated by automotive-related uses at 69.6%, followed by packaging, 8.4% and medical, 5.1%. The 2021 study did not include a similar breakdown.
