European tubes production grew by about 2% in the first half of 2016 compared with the same period last year, outpacing GDP and industrial production, which rose by about 1.5%, reports the European Tube Manufacturers Association (etma, Düsseldorf / Germany; www.etma-online.org). The association said total production by its members – whose shipments account for about 70% of European tube production – reached almost 5.3 bn tubes in the six-month period.

Gregor Spengler, etma’s secretary general, said the figures give reason for “cautious optimism in the second half of the year despite the hard competitive environment in a relatively saturated European market.”

The cosmetics sector remains the largest consumer of tubes, accounting for 45% of the European market, followed by pharmaceutical products and dental care with just over 20% each, according to etma. Food products account for just under 10%.