2013 Exhibitions
According to VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association’s latest report, German exports to East Asia have declined 17% last year. Deliveries to China fell 16%, so were exports to Korea and Taiwan, declined by more than a third. Exports to India also fell by one third.
On the other hand, sales to the ASEAN region increased by 44%, with Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia were up 64%, 65% and 20%, respectively.
Meanwhile, German supplies of plastics and rubber machinery to North America sharply rose last year, up 21%. Exports to Canada rose by 32%, with those to the US adding 20%.
“As a result of this new record delivery value of EUR546 million – the previous peak in 1999 was EUR499 million – the US market is gaining ground on frontrunner China, which has been showing signs of weakness of late,” reported Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association.
German exports of plastics and rubber machinery increased further up by 2.3% in 2012 – following increases of 30.5% and 25.6% in the previous two years. Taking returns made to the Federal Statistical Office as a basis, exports reached a value of EUR4.4 billion . “The good export performance in 2012 brings with it a number of interesting shifts in our industry’s sales markets,” said Thorsten Kühmann, Managing Director of the VDMA Association. “In addition to the US market, another traditional sales region, the EU, showed above-average growth of 10%. Increases in Poland (30%), Austria (17%), Great Britain (21%) and the Czech Republic (25%) accounted for much of this.”
A mixed scenario for German equipment sales in South America was reported for 2012, with a market that showed above-average growth of 7%. Exports to Chile rose 19%, following Brazil increasing by 10%. Whilst deliveries to Peru rose by 13%, Argentina declined by19%, with the Central American heavyweight Mexico remaining at the previous year’s level.
In the same year period, deliveries by foreign manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery to customers in Germany, totaling EUR938 million, fell marginally short of the previous year’s level, a decline of 0.8%. Austria continues to be the main supplier, increasing its lead over Switzerland and Italy.
(PRA)
