January production levels of Italian packaging manufacturers increased by 2.4% compared to the same period the previous year, confirming the positive dynamic in December. During the six-month period August 2020-January 2021, production in Italy was similar or slightly higher than the same period in 2019. Only the month of November recorded a negative result. Overall, Italian packaging manufacturers have succeeded in adapting to the Covid-19 containment measures. To note, the production index records a 3.6% drop in January compared to the same period in 2020.
The Italian packaging production index is the result of the average of the dynamics of the different segments. The wood packaging sector is still undergoing difficulties, with a drop of 6.6% compared to January 2020. Paper and cardboard packaging production is essentially stable (+0.8%), whereas plastic, glass and metal are dynamic (respectively +3.5%, +3.7% and +7.4%).
Internationally, January packaging production in the EU 27 confirms the return to pre-crisis levels of the previous year (+0.4%). That said, the leading economies do note some uneven dynamics. Of the large countries, there was a pickup in Spanish manufacturing (+2.5% compared to January 2020), with German production stable (+0.2%). The packaging industry in France, however, is still in difficulty, not yet managing to return to pre-crisis levels (-2.6% compared to January 2020).
