Drop in exports, domestic market holding: Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery in 2025

Mecs-Amaplast Statistics Centre has released the full-year forecast for 2025 on Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery industry, with basis of the trend in foreign trade (data from ISTAT).

The drop in exports – on the order of -6% for January-September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 – produces an estimated downturn for the entire year of five percentage points in production, three quarters of which, on average, is exported to foreign markets.

For domestic market, its performance holds with high level of imports maintained, grown by sixteen points with respect to the first nine months of 2024.

However, Amaplast reflected that this positive performance will not be sufficient to counterbalance the lackluster performance of exports when the consolidated year-end result is issued.

The organization also observed a four-year cycle for exports in the sector. After the robust post-pandemic recovery, exports have recorded a setback in 2025, influenced by persisting turbulence in the markets. As the contraction of exports lessened progressively to some extent over the year, this raises hopes for further improvement in the final quarter.