Düsseldorf, May 04, 2014 - The past year has been a success for German packaging machinery manufacturers. The approximately 250 predominantly medium-sized companies produced machines and systems worth almost 6.4 billion euros, an increase of 3 percent compared to the previous year.
In 2016, the companies sold almost 20 percent of the production within the local market. Demand rose by 4 per cent compared with the previous year and reached a value of EUR 1.1 billion. Sales in the home market rose by 32 percent between 2010 and 2016.
The most important source of stimulus: foreign demand
For years, the German companies have been dominating the international market not only in production, but also where exports are concerned. On average, they generate more than 80 percent of their sales abroad. Last year (2016), they exported packaging machines worth almost 5.4 billion euros to more than 100 countries in the world, an increase of 3 percent compared to the previous year. This means that six years after the global financial and economic crisis, exports now exceed the high level of 2008, the year with the highest deliveries to date.
Europe continues to be the largest regional market: In 2016, Germany delivered machinery and equipment worth 2.5 billion euros to European countries, an increase of 9 percent compared to the previous year. However, Europe's share of total German exports has declined over the past 10 years. 10 years ago, deliveries to Europe still accounted for 52 percent of total deliveries, the figure has sunk to 47 percent.
Packaging machinery exports to Asia have doubled and reached a value of 1 billion euros in 2016. This makes Asia the second most important sales region for German companies after Europe, even if deliveries were almost 7 percent down compared to the previous year. The weak demand from China, the largest customer of packaging machinery "made in Germany" in Asia, had a negative effect here.
North America is the third largest sales region for German manufacturers. Of the total German packaging machinery exports, 14 percent went to this region (€ 764 million, up 9 percent).
Africa comes fourth with deliveries of 331 million euros (minus 7 percent). Latin America follows in fifth place. Here exports fell by almost 5 percent to 330 million euros. This was mainly due to the slump in demand in Brazil. The Middle East came sixth with 308 million euros (plus 16 percent).
Increasingly it is the emerging and developing countries, whose industries need to be established, expanded or modernized, that give growth impulses. Here, production mechanization and the packaging of the products is often still at a low level. The potential of these markets is high due to population growth, a growing middle class with young people who are ready to consume and have increasing demands on the safety and quality of food and beverages.
Are there any more questions? Vera Fritsche, Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association within VDMA, will be happy to answer them. Phone 0151/14644049
VDMA Stand: Hall 5 Stand no. J38
