The members of the German Association of the Corrugated Board Industry (VDW) recorded a 1.4 per cent increase in sales in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year.
As the association has now announced, this corresponds to a Sales increase of 60.4 million square metres of corrugated board. Overall, the corrugated board manufacturers organised in the VDW 2.07 billion square metres in the first three months of this year. cancelled.
The decisive factor is the Growth of 4.7 per cent in March, after corrugated board manufacturers achieved moderate growth of 0.7 per cent in February and suffered a decline of 1.1 per cent in January.
„The damage caused by corona Special boom in the food retail sector in March has had a noticeable effect on our members,“ says VDW Executive Director Dr Oliver Wolfrum.
Since almost Two thirds of all goods transported in corrugated board The peaks in demand from consumer goods manufacturers are transferred to the packaging industry. „Thanks to their flexibility, our members were able to Satisfy increased demand without problems and thus make an important contribution to the secure supply of our society.“
Many Customer industries of corrugated board manufacturers are facing major challenges as the German economy is in recession. Due to the coronavirus crisis, gross domestic product fell by 2.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the previous quarter.
Industrial production, which is important for corrugated board manufacturers, fell in almost all areas in March - by a total of 9.2 per cent in price-adjusted terms compared to February. There are signs that this trend will continue: New orders in the manufacturing sector were 15.6 per cent lower in April than in March. Wolfrum: „Corrugated board manufacturers will also be sales declines this year have to accept.“
In addition to the Direct consequences of the shutdown Wolfrum is also concerned about the earnings situation of corrugated board manufacturers.
„Average revenue per square metre of corrugated board sold fell by 6.5 per cent in the first three months compared to the same quarter of the previous year. At the same time, our members 4.1 per cent increase in paper prices in March accept. This puts additional pressure on the tight economic situation of corrugated cardboard manufacturers.“
VDW Managing Director Dr Oliver Wolfrum
Source: VDW
