news
Italian machinery exports on the rise in 2016
Exports of Italian plastics machinery rose in the first three quarters of last year, says the Assocomaplast trade association. As well as a 1.5% increase
in exports – compared to the same period in 2015 – there was also an 8.5% rise in imports.
“In particular, the recovery
in exports – which historically represent a significant share of national production – is an important signal for Italian manufacturers,” said Assoco- maplast president Alessandro Grassi.
He added that 2015 was the
best ever year for foreign sales by Italian manufacturers in the sector.
Exports to the principal
market – the rest of Europe – fell slightly: a 1.8% dip in sales means that the region now account for 58% of sales (down from 60%). For Euro- pean Union countries, sales to Germany, the Czech Republic, the UK and Romania were hardest hit, while sales to
Italian plastics machinery exports by region, %, 2016
Asia/
Oceania 16.6
Africa 4.8 Central/
South America 5.7%
North America 14.6
Europe 58.3
Two more plasticisers on SVHC list
Two plasticisers are among nine substances of very high concern (SVHCs) which have been recommended for addition to the Authori- sation List under the EU’s REACH Regulation. 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic
Poland and Spain (each up 15%) and Portugal (up 77%) counterbalanced this. Outside the EU, exports to Russia fell to €36m, from €47m in the same period of 2015. There were continuing
strong sales to North America – particularly Mexico, which doubled its Italian imports. Sales to the USA (down 12%) and Canada (down 26%) have fallen, however. In South America, Brazil reduced imports by 33% (to less than €30m) while Argentina’s rose by 22% to nearly €24m. Sales to Asia were generally
healthy, especially China (up 9% to €104m), India (up 42% to €43m) and South Korea (up 39% to €14m). Sales to Iran rose from
€11m to €18m – almost certainly due to the partial lifting of sanctions. In terms of machinery,
exports of extruders – to all regions – rose by 1.8%. For comparison, sales of injection moulding machines rose by nearly 20%, blow moulding machines fell by 8% and thermoforming machines rose by nearly 22%. ❙
www.assocomaplast.org
acid dihexyl ester and dihexyl phthalate have been listed as they are deemed toxic for reproduction. All nine of the new additions were prioritised from the Candidate List because of their high volume and widespread uses, which may pose a threat to human health, or for their potential to replace other substances already on the Authorisation List. A final decision on their inclusion in the Authorisa- tion List and on the dates by which companies will need to apply for authorisation to ECHA will be taken by the European Commission, Member states and the European Parliament. ❙
http://echa.europa.eu
US machine sales dip 2% during Q3
Plastics machinery sales from North America fell by 2% in the third quarter of the year. It was the first quarterly decline since Q3 2015, and only the second time there was a quarterly decrease since the recovery began in 2010, said the US Plastics Industry Association’s Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES).
8 Total deliveries reached
almost $295m for the quarter, compared to $302m for the same period last year. However, year-to-date shipments are currently nearly 5% ahead of last year. “Shipments of plastics equipment rose steadily during the six-year period from 2010 through 2015, but this trend hit
PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | January/February 2017
a plateau in 2016,” said Bill Wood, the plastics market economist who analyses the figures for the CES. “The quarterly comparison will be difficult in the fourth quarter of this year.” Sales of single screw
extruders fell by almost 4% for the third quarter, while those of twin-screw extruder rose by
nearly 28%. By comparison, sales of injection moulding machinery were down 6% in the same period. “The incentives to invest in
new equipment remain strong, and if Congress passes some meaningful corporate tax reform in 2017, [shipments] may even improve,” said Wood. ❙
www.plasticsindustry.org
www.pipeandprofile.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58