The German packaging machinery manufacturers can look back on a
successful 2006: The production of packaging machinery increased year
on year by 8 to 5 percent, reaching a volume of 4.6 billion €. Of
this, around 1.4 billion euros on drinks packaging machines. In the
German packaging machinery industry are around 300, mostly
medium-sized enterprises operate with approximately 26,000 employees.
The export business is the engine of growth of the packaging machinery
industry. In 2006, worldwide machinery and equipment worth around € 13
billion were exported. Thus laying the export increased by 11 percent.
With an export volume of 4.4 billion euros, Germany has a share of
world exports by 34 percent. A look at the development of the five
leading exporters of packaging machines, and the combined last year 72
percent of world export volume to itself, shows that Germany was able
to expand its leadership position in 2006. The export growth of 15
percent in Germany was almost twice as high as also the respectable
growth of the Italian packaging machine builders with 8 percent. About
90 percent of the packaging machines manufactured in Germany are
exported. The proportion is even higher than the export rate of the
entire department of food processing and packaging machinery, which in
2006 was just under 80 percent. The demand from overseas is clearly
the driving force. High growth rates were recorded for exports to
North America (+ 22 percent), the Near and Middle East (+ 21 percent),
Central America (+15 percent) and Central and South Asia (+
46Prozent). The U.S. could expand its leading position as the most
important market for German packaging machinery more. Exports in 2006
reached a volume of 682 million euros, an increase of 22 percent.
Meanwhile, the shipments to the U.S. nearly three times as high as in
Great Britain, the main supply market within the EU. In Western
Europe, the strong economy has also reflected on the sales of
packaging machinery. About 36 percent of German packaging machinery
exports went to the EU27 countries. TOP-importing country in the EU in
2006 was again the United Kingdom (+ 26 percent), followed by France
(+15 percent) and Spain (+40 percent). In the remaining countries in
Europe Russia takes the top position among the consumer countries.
Higher incomes and rising living standards ensure a favorable consumer
climate. Russian market for packaged foods is one of the largest in
the world. This also benefits the German supplier of packaging
machinery. The export volume in 2006 reached a value of 299 million
euros, up by 38 percent over the previous year. Domestic demand has
picked up significantly in 2006. Sales of packaging machines without
bottling machines grew by 13 percent. In the current year, domestic
demand continues to develop positively in the first five months of the
year, order intake is 30% above the German packaging machine pre-year
level .Die prospects for 2007 are very positive. The current strong
trends in the domestic market and abroad should make good economic
increase production in the German packaging machinery in 2007. For
2007, sales increased by 15 percent in packaging machinery is forecast
without beverage filling machines. In the first four months of 2007,
exports of packaging machinery increased by 15 percent. United States
(+29 percent) and Russia (+57 percent) continue to take this one
places one and two. Russia and Ukraine in second place to underline at
# 4, the Eastern markets that are currently the driving force of
export demand.
