PU FOAM

Europur reports good performance last year / EU imports surge as exports fall / Study extended to include Russia and Turkey

GERMAN PLASTICS PROCESSING

Strong dynamic in the first third of 2016 / Riding on the coattails of the upswing from autumn and winter 2015 / 4% growth year-on-year / Construction business well above average / Semi-finished products a little more subdued

PLASTICS PROCESSING EUROPE

European converters remain a competitive force / Sector increasingly threatened by insecure raw material supply, high costs and foreign players / Innovation and client proximity strongpoints for continental companies / New study by EuPC and Wieselhuber

BOPP FILMS

Investment focus shifts away from China / Capacity additions drive need to rationalise production / AMI report

PE FILM

Growth in Europe driven by restructuring and acquisitions / RKW is leading player / Supply and volatile price of raw materials as key challenges / AMI report

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Global market reaches USD 5.2 bn in 2015 / Desktop printer sales drive gains

ITALY

Plastics industry in strong recovery mode in 2015 / Thermoplastics consumption rises by 3% to 5.5m t / Strong acceleration in Q4 / Demand from automotive segment particularly high / Biotechnology continues to play an important role

EUROPEAN SHEET MARKET

Steady growth of 1% annually anticipated over next five years / PP and PET gain in popularity / Production in Italy, France and Spain struggles / AMI directory

GERMAN PLASTICS PROCESSING

Sales just shy of EUR 60 bn level / Exports to Eurozone continue to drive growth / Volumes processed stable at 2014 level / 2016 growth expected to resemble that of last year / Cautious optimism

EPS INSULATION

Fierce competition and high volatility drive consolidation in Germany / French state fund for renovations / New UK market leader is born / Cladding segment increasingly trends towards grey EPS / Prolonged use of HBCD has no notable market relevance

GRAVITY PIPES EUROPE

Market remains below 2007 peak at EUR 6 bn in 2015 / Trend is reversing / Demand will pick up over next five years / AMI report

GERMAN PLASTICS PROCESSING

Sales after first nine months of 2015 match those of last year / Packaging products perform above average / Construction and semi-finished goods barely move / Technical parts and consumer goods looking up / Positive mood despite feedstock upheaval

SPECIALTY FILMS

US market to grow by nearly 5% to 2019 / Construction and electronics sectors to be best performers / Healthy demand from packaging / Freedonia report

GERMAN PLASTICS PROCESSING

Feedstock price swings reflected in the statistical H1 balance sheet / Depressed sales at the start of the year gradually lifted by cost rises / Full-year revenues could set new record

NORTH AMERICAN PVC FILMS MARKET

Regulatory pressures limit US and Canada growth / Production could shift to Mexico / Grand View Research report

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

European market to grow by 2% per year to 2019, led by eastern Europe / PCI Films study

INSULATED PANELS

Growth in cold storage in Asia and Middle East boosts global demand / Output forecast to grow by 4% per year to 2019 / IAL Consultants directory

AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY

Germany's Federal Cartel Office imposes EUR 75m fine on five acoustic insulation producers for alleged price fixing

3D PRINTING

Spanish technology centre to be beta tester for Ultem resin / Agreement with Stratasys

AFRICA

Processors eye 8% annual growth in African plastics demand to 2018 / South Africa accounts 25% of plastics processing sites / AMI database