The Italian plastics and rubber machinery and equipment manufacturers association Assocomaplast said the sector saw production value increase by more than 9% in 2010 - higher than the 8% growth figure predicted in December last year.

The association says overall production value, according to information from its 170 members, increased 9.1% to €3.6bn.

“All five of the main indicators for the sector reveal decidedly positive trends, recovering the losses suffered in 2009 compared with the record year 2008,” says Assocomaplast.

Imports increased 17.2% to €567m, while exports went up 9.7% to €2bn.

“It is also worth mentioning that, while total exports for the sector increased by 10% to compared with 2009, those for core machinery – injection moulding presses, extrusion lines, blow moulding machines etc – achieved an average increase of 14%,” says the association. “A 30% jump was posted by extrusion lines.”