Increased exports and solid domestic demand push aluminium foil deliveries ahead

A solid performance in both domestic and overseas markets in the six months to June indicates 2018 could be a good year for European aluminium foil rollers.

Total deliveries of 464,000 tonnes in the year to date are 2.3% ahead, according to figures released by the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA). This is almost double the increase seen for the same period in 2017, indicating increasing demand in all markets.

Thinner gauges, used mainly for flexible packaging and household foils, led the way with a 3.8% increase. Deliveries of thicker gauges, used typically for semi-rigid containers and technical applications, were down 0.5% in the first six months.

Exports continued towards an overall increase of +21% for the first half of 2018, well ahead of the year before. Domestic consumption from European suppliers was steady, at just 0.1% more. The excellent performance in overseas markets is largely attributed to high demand from North America, following specific trade actions in that market.

Taking the three months April to June (Q2) production gathered pace, as overall deliveries increased by 2.7%. Domestic consumption added 2.4% compared with Q2 2017. The export performance continued positively with +5.5%.

EAFA President Bruno Rea, commenting on the figures said: “We believe demand from overseas markets will continue to be strong. At the same time domestic demand remains robust and assuming there are no further disturbances in global trade, we are confident that the trend for the rest of the year is going in a positive direction.”