According to statistics provided by the association, Assocomaplast, Italian imports and exports for the sector recorded new gains in the first half of 2012 with respect to the same period in 2011.

Italian exports for the sector, marked a substantial increase (+11%) exceeding 1.23 billion euros overall. This has produced measurable improvement in the balance of trade, which has reached figures well in excess of 900 million euros. Regarding the principal types of machinery exported, extruders, accounting for roughly 12% of the total, continue to record double-digit growth, approaching twenty points with respect to last year.

The ranking of the top five destination countries for Italian exports of machines, equipment, and moulds for plastics and rubber in the first half of 2012 is as follows: Germany (14.7% of the total; +9% with respect to January-June 2011), France (6.3%; +5%), Russia (5.5%; +61%), United States (5.5%; +10%), China (5.1%; -7%).