Flexible packaging should grow 2% in 2014, predicts Maxiquim

The flexible plastic packaging segment should register growth of 2% in volume in 2014, up from 1.8 million tons last year, calculates the consultancy Maxiquim, on study for the Brazilian Association of Plastic Flexible packaging industry (Abief). The result should be little higher than the advance gross domestic product (GDP), from 1.4% to 1.5%.
"The behavior of this segment is very tied to the performance of food and beverage sectors. There is, therefore, a relatively good perspective, because the nondurable consumer goods are among the fastest growing in the year, with a positive impact of the World Cup, "says the Executive partner of Maxiquim, Solange Stumpf.
According to the Executive, however, there is optimism overdone that marked the previous year. "Industries are producing truly to meet the demand, without formation of much stock, with a lot of caution," he says. Thus, the consultant believes in maintaining the standard of the industry's advance above the GDP, but without great DT.
In 2013, the flexible plastic packaging segment, which includes bags, tote bags, films, labels and tags, recorded revenues of $ 13.7 billion, a growth of 14.4% in 2012, according to Maxiquim. In volume, the advance was of 3.5% to 1.8 million ton, also just above the high of 2.5% of GDP in the year. The domestic demand, production and import sum deducted export, grew 2.3%, to 1.9 million tonne.
At the beginning of 2014, the main consuming industries of flexible plastic packaging record growth, despite the fall in industry production. While the industry amassed indentation of 1.2 percent from January to April compared to the same period in 2013, the food manufacturing advanced 0.3 percent in the period, and the production of drinks 1.9%, according to the Brazilian Institute of geography and statistics (IBGE).
"People are leaving to buy durable goods, that depend on credit, to purchase non-durable," says Solange. In this way, is expected to the year a more favorable performance for processed plastics industries geared to these categories, with worse results for manufacturers dedicated to the production of a part and parts for the automotive and domestic appliances of white line.