In the first quarter 2013, the European aluminium foil sector has shown growth across all gauges for the first time since mid-2011, according to figures from the European Aluminium Foil Association, EAFA.
According to the industry body, overall Q1 production grew by 3.7% to 209,400 tonnes, compared to 201,900 tonnes in the same period in 2012.
“Exports from European manufacturers maintained the momentum seen in the later part of 2012, with a first quarter growth of 10.3%,” EAFA says.
The EAFA region covers Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK.
Thinner gauges, used largely for flexible packaging and household foils continued a “steady recovery during 2012” with a 2.4% increase in the first three months of 2013, the organisation reports, while thicker gauges, typically used for semi-rigid containers and technical applications, advanced by 2.5%, showing “growth in this sector for the first time in 18 months”.
“The aluminium foil sector is highly innovative, as the recent winners of the Alufoil Trophy 2013 demonstrated,” says EAFA executive director Stefan Glimm.
“This, together with a flexible and dynamic approach to demand changes, means that the European foil rollers remain strong and well placed to meet future challenges.”