NEWS


German converters report 2% sales fall


GKV, the trade organisation that represents German converters, reported another fall in turnover last year. It called on both the German government and European Commission to “implement far-reaching economic reforms and reduce bureaucracy”. “Germany needs an


effective bulwark against the flood of bureaucracy from Brussels,” said Helen Fuerst, president of GKV. GKV said that sales fell to just over €68 billion in 2024, a decline of 1.8% compared to 2024. Exports remained at 43% of sales. At the same time, domestic sales fell by nearly 2% to account for nearly €39bn. The number of employ- ees in the industry fell by nearly 2%, to around 307,000, while processing


German plastics converting, 2025 Sales 2025 (bn€) 38.8 29.4 68.2


Domestic Export Total


(Source: GKV)


volumes dipped by 2% to 11.8 million tonnes. Of this, 2.5m tonnes was recyclate – a 2% increase on 2024. The number of processing plants dipped slightly by nearly 3% to around 2,700 facilities. Figures are not split into specific processes (such as extrusion). However, the packaging sector – which is most relevant to film and sheet extruders – saw a 3% fall in the amount of material processed (3.7m tonnes). This equated to turnover in the sector of nearly €25bn – a fall of 3.5%.


For comparison, the technical parts sector saw a 4% fall in the amount of material processed (2.6m tonnes), while construction saw no change in the amount of material that was processed (4.3m tonnes). “Many medium-sized family businesses are hesitant to invest in Germany because of a lack of reliable framework conditions for medium- and long-term investments. Because of erratic political action, many businesses are operating at a loss,” said Fuerst. � www.gkv.de


% Change -2.2 -1.0 -1.8


Italian


machinery sales down


Sales of plastics machinery from Italy fell by around 5% in 2025. Amaplast, which


represents manufacturers, says sales fell to €4.4 billion. This was largely due to a corresponding 5% reduction in exports, which fell to €3.4 bn. Italy’s ‘top 10’ export


markets remained the same, but while sales to the US, China and Spain rose those to Germany, France and Mexico fell. Overall, sales of extruders fell 13% to €350 million. At the same time,


imports of technology rose by nearly 24%, confirming “robust domestic demand”, said the association. As a result, the trade balance fell from a record €2.65bn in 2024 to €2.24bn. � www.amaplast.org


North American machinery sales rose in Q4 2025


Sales of plastics machinery in North America rose slightly in the fourth quarter of last year – the third consecu- tive quarterly increase. Estimates for the quarter indicate


sales of US$327 million – up nearly 8% on the previous quarter and 7% higher year-on-year, says the Plastics Industry Association’s Committee on Equip- ment Statistics (CES).


In primary plastics machinery, single-screw extruders saw a rise of 16% compared to the previous quarter – and 15% compared to Q4 2024. Twin- screw extruder sales fell 8% compared to Q3 – and flat year-on-year. For comparison, injection moulding sales rose nearly 9% on the previous


4 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | April 2026


quarter, and by 7% over the full year. Sales of primary plastics machinery


rose in step with the US macroecono- my, which grew in 2025 “despite tariff headwinds for many equipment suppliers”. “Market adjustments across the plastics industry supply chain in response to higher tariffs appear to have helped deter further deterioration during what has been a soft plastics manufacturing year,” said Perc Pineda, chief economist at the association. The value of imports rose nearly 2% US$3.5 billion, while exports fell nearly 11% to US$1 billion – pushing the trade deficit in plastics machinery up nearly 8%.


In the latest CES quarterly survey, members were less pessimistic about market conditions. Those anticipating deterioration in the next quarter dropped from 48% to 13%; those expecting conditions to remain steady or improve over the next 12 months rose from 58% to 83%. “The moderate economic growth outlook for 2026 remains unchanged,” said Pineda. “What may have improved is the prospect that sectors that lagged in previous years, such as construction, could outperform as borrowing costs decline – generating increased demand for plastics and, by extension, plastics equipment.” � www.plasticsindustry.org


www.filmandsheet.com


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