The pandemic has hammered the Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery industry, with data from the first nine months of 2020 signalling drastic full-year declines in production and exports, according to the Italian trade association Amaplast (Milan; www.amaplast.org).

Production of plastics and rubber machinery, equipment and moulds for the year is expected to show a drop of 18.2% to EUR 3.6 bn compared with EUR 4.4 bn in 2019, the association said. Exports, imports, the size of the domestic market, and the trade balance are all projected to have fallen by more than 18% on the year.

The forecasts follow concerning data from the first nine months of the year, with the trade group reporting that exports fell 14% and imports dropped 17% versus Jan-Sep 2019. “Naturally, these numbers are not surprising given the global economic impact of the pandemic, which does not appear likely to cease in the short term,” Amaplast said. “A rebound is likely, once again thanks to the impulse from exports, which have always been the mainstay of the Italian plastics and rubber industry, but it is not likely that it will be of such magnitude that we will soon see figures similar to those in the pre-crisis period.”

The pandemic has also driven change at domestic shops, the trade group noted. “Many Italian companies have successfully introduced complex remote installation and maintenance procedures, ensuring their customers production continuity, particularly in sectors – such as packaging and medical – that have suffered less from the crisis. Moreover, the cost savings deriving from reduced in-person technical service may be an important innovation for the future.”

The global health crisis has also affected foreign demand for Italian machinery. “An analysis of export markets by macro-area in the three quarters in question shows strengthening in Europe, especially in extra-EU markets, while Asia and North America have lost ground.”