MILAN—The Italian rubber and plastics processing machinery sector achieved all-time record exports in 2015, according to industry association Assocomaplast.
The firm said in a March 18 news release that a significant surge in the final months of the year took exports past $3.29 billion, which went well beyond the previous high of about $3.12 billion in 2007.
Assocomaplast said particularly high exports to NAFTA markets was a good trend to EU countries, though sales to other European countries, Central and South America, Africa, Middle East and Asia did not perform as well.
An 8.4 percent increase in imports further supported evidence of a recovery in the Italian market, as reported by Assocomaplast members last year.
Given the gains in business activity, Assocomaplast said it was upgrading a recent full-year forecast, which estimated overall output from the Italian polymer machinery sector at around $4.65 billion.