Italy's plastics and rubber machinery sector performed strongly in 2023, with sales up 2.8% year-on-year to €4.8bn, according to data from the Italian association Amaplast on 21 March.

The latest figures released by Amaplast show that this growth was driven by exports, which accounted for €3.59bn of total sales.

The association said the export figures were 10.8 per cent higher than in 2022. However, the local Italian industry contracted by 7.5 per cent to €1.21 billion.

In detail, exports continued to grow in the three main geographical macro-regions of Europe, the Americas and Asia. Sales to Europe rose by 6.1 per cent year-on-year, the difference between strong growth of 9.2 per cent in the EU region and a decline of 4.8 per cent in countries outside the EU.

Demand in the Americas grew by 20.2 per cent, with double-digit average growth rates in both the USMCA region and Latin America.

Amaplast noted that growth in the US was slightly below average but still trending positively, with exports up 5.5 per cent year-on-year.

In Asia, exports grew by 8.1 per cent, reflecting the combined effect of strong growth of 50 per cent in the Middle East and a small decline of 1.3 per cent in the Far East (excluding China).

China retained its position as the fifth largest importer of Italian machinery, with sales up 12.4 per cent year-on-year. 2023 saw Germany, the US, Mexico and France each become Italy's top four importers of machinery.

Among the top ten markets, Poland and India were the only countries to report a decline in demand, down 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

Exports to Africa also showed strong growth, including a 36.0 per cent increase to Mediterranean markets and a 32.3 per cent increase to sub-Saharan countries.

Here, Amaplast emphasised that it is stepping up its promotional activities in Africa, participating in "many trade fairs" to continue exploring the region's great potential.

On the outlook for 2024, Amaplast said the general uncertainty caused by wars in the Middle East, rising interest rates and general instability had dampened enthusiasm somewhat. With a complex outlook, 2024 looks unlikely to replicate the performance of 2023.