German manufacturers of plastics packaging expect the first quarter of 2012 to be economically better than Q4 2011. Nearly all the companies questioned judge the current economic situation to be good or at least satisfactory, says the German packaging producers association Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen, IK (Bad Homburg; www.kunststoffverpackungen.de) based on the quarterly survey of association members.

Nevertheless, the turnover forecasts for their own companies are rather more cautious. Although some 66% of people asked expect consistent sales development in the first quarter of this year, IK found that nearly 20% assume that sales will decrease. In terms of exports, a third of IK members anticipate further downturns, and are evidently counting on solid domestic economic activity.

According to IK managing director Ulf Kelterborn, the survey results show that the cost spiral will continue to increase in 2012. At any rate, nearly 40% of IK members expect higher raw material prices at the beginning of this year, and converters in the field of plastics packaging therefore fear reduced profit margins. The market must react to this situation as quickly as possible, Kelterborn warned.