First quarter 2007: Alufoil increase due to strong domestic demand

A strong domestic demand was the main reason for the very good start into 2007 for the European aluminium foil industry with a growth of 3.9 percent in the first quarter.

Statistics from the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) put total shipments up to 228,300 tons (2006: 219,800 tons). Domestic sales into the EAFA region* increased by 6.2 percent while exports dropped by eight percent.

“For the upcoming months we expect this trend to continue due to the high potential of aluminium foil in today’s packaging markets”, comments EAFA’s Executive Director Stefan Glimm. “The declining exports are more a result of full capacities than lower international competitiveness. The European aluminium foil industry continues to be the global benchmark in terms of product quality and process innovation.”

Thicker gauges, mainly used for the manufacture of semi-rigid container and technical applications, took off with nearly ten percent and thinner gauges, normally used in flexible packaging, rose by 4.4 percent.

Approximately three quarters of aluminium foil is used in packaging where its characteristics of strength, formability and barrier properties have made it an essential part of many flexible packaging and container applications. Other uses of aluminium foil include automotive and other heat exchange components, insulation material and other industrial applications.

The European Aluminium Foil Association is the international body representing companies engaged in the rolling and rewinding of alufoil and in the manufacture of alufoil containers and of all kind of flexible packaging. It has more than 120 members include companies in Western, Central and Eastern Europe.