The production of plastics in Spain fell by 0.9% in 2013 and is expected to be stable this year, according to plastics industry producers’ association PlasticsEurope (Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticseurope.com). The country’s plastics industry recorded revenues of EUR 23 bn last year, representing 2.2% of GDP.

The trend for the first quarter 2014 is for a "slight improvement" for the sector, in line with the slow, moderate recovery of the Spanish economy, the association said.

Manuel Fernandez, CEO of PlasticsEurope for the Iberian region, urged Spain to back leading and innovative sectors such as plastics to help support the country’s manufacturing industry. “We hope that action is taken on a national level, to ensure the competitiveness of our industry so we can continue to contribute significantly to sustainable growth and employment generation and wealth in Spain," he added. In 2013 Spain’s plastics sector employed some 75,000 people across more than 4,000 companies – mostly SMEs.

Packaging is the leading plastics application, representing 46% of Spain’s plastics demand, PlasticsEurope said. Building and construction is the next largest application area, with 13% of demand, followed by automotive (8%) and agriculture (6%).

Global plastics production rose by 3.9% to 299m t last year, the association said. China represented 25% of output, while Asia as a whole accounted for 45%. European output rose by 2.3%, with demand up 0.1% to about 46m t in the EU-27.