At the start of drinktec 2025, the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association drew a largely positive balance: Exports rose by 6 % to €10.6 billion in 2024, increased again by 6 % in the first half of 2025, Europe remains the export engine - and global beverage consumption and product diversity are providing a tailwind.
The industry is stable despite geopolitical and economic uncertainties. „The mood in our industry is good for the most part. Exports of food processing and packaging machinery will continue to grow in the first half of 2025, bucking the trend in the mechanical engineering sector as a whole,“ said Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, at the start of the trade fair and is forecasting an increase in sales for 2025.
Driving exports - EU robust, USA most important market, China weaker
With an average export share of 84 %, this sector is one of the strongest in the German mechanical engineering industry. The EU-27 in particular proved to be robust in the period under review with +10.2 %. The USA remains the largest single market: shipments reached €1.8 billion in 2024 and were only slightly (-0.4 %) below the record level in the first half of 2025. According to the association, automation and capacity expansions remain key investment drivers in the US food industry.
In China, on the other hand, the decline continued: German exports in the first half of 2025 were 29 % below the previous year. The association cites economic weakness and „buy-local“ trends as the reasons for this; opportunities are still seen in the high-performance segment, although this requires more localisation. Beyond the core markets, numerous countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America provided double-digit impetus, including Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Vietnam, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania.
Europe dominates the global machinery trade
The global trade volume for food and packaging machinery reached almost € 54.5 billion in 2024. Around 70 % of this came from Europe. Italy and Germany lead with a share of around 20 % each; Germany is particularly strong in beverage packaging machines and brewing machines. This makes the sector one of the strongest export industries in European mechanical engineering.
Growth drivers: increasing beverage consumption and high innovation dynamics
According to Euromonitor, around 1.1 trillion litres of bottled and packaged beverages were sold worldwide in 2024. litres of bottled and packaged beverages will be sold worldwide in 2024; an increase of around 14 % is expected by 2028. Africa/Middle East and Asia/Pacific in particular are expected to see double-digit growth, while saturated markets will primarily see qualitative growth and product innovations. In 2024, around 7,000 new non-alcoholic and almost 6,300 alcoholic beverage products were launched on the global market - with a focus on North America and Europe.
Focus of drinktec: cycles, efficiency and digitalisation
The trade fair reflects key topics in the industry: demographic developments, health trends, high demands on safety and quality as well as efficient, sustainable production and packaging concepts. „We see our industry as an important part of the solution here. After all, who, if not mechanical engineering, can make a decisive contribution to making processes in manufacturing companies economical, efficient and sustainable through innovation,“ emphasised Clemens. Digitalisation plays a key role in leveraging savings and optimisation potential along the value chain. Functional formulations, proteins and shorter product life cycles also open up additional business opportunities.
Source: VDMA
