ECONOMY AND MARKET

First estimates of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Italian manufacturers of plastics machinery . Production , imports and exports in significant decline . The trade balance remains positive . Companies have developed solutions to maintain industrial operations .

Italian technology plast / May 2021

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The double-digit dip in the import-export markets for the entire period January-September 2020 and the complex economic context due to the world health crisis prompt the trade association Amaplast to predict a rather negative year-end result for the Italian plastics and rubber

Destination areas of the Italian plastics and rubber machinery , equipment and moulds exports (% - January-September )

processing machinery , equipment , and moulds industry . Istat foreign trade data for the first nine months of last year , compared to the same period in 2019 , show imports and exports falling by 17 % and 14 % respectively . The balance of trade , while still amply positive at over 1.3 billion euros , has shrunk by thirteen points . While improving somewhat after the trough in May , these indicators - combined with the drop in orders among member companies , especially in the first half of the year and particularly in the domestic market - lead the Amaplast Statistical Studies Centre to estimate total production for 2020 at 3.6 billion euros , representing approximately -18 % with respect to the 4.4 billion in 2019 . An analogous result is expected in the consolidated year-end results for foreign trade .

REACH THE FURTHEST MARKETS An analysis of export markets by macro-area in the three quarters in question shows strengthening in Europe , especially in extra-EU mar-

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