The tube market showed weaker development in the first half of 2025. According to the European Tube Manufacturers Association (etma), total deliveries of aluminium, laminate and plastic tubes fell by 3.9% year-on-year to around 5.8 billion units.
The individual tube types developed differently: with deliveries of almost two billion units, the Aluminium tube market a decline of 4.8 per cent. While demand from the food sector remained stable and even increased slightly in the cosmetics sector, the significant decline in deliveries to the pharmaceutical industry - the most important sales segment - was the main reason for the overall drop.
With the Laminate tubes deliveries rose to almost 2.36 billion units, an increase of 3.6 per cent compared to the previous year. Growth was particularly strong in the toothpaste and pharmaceutical markets.
With around 1.47 billion Plastic tubes deliveries fell significantly by 12.8 per cent. The main reason for this was the sharp decline in demand in the cosmetics sector, particularly for tubes with a smaller diameter.
Recyclates, trade uncertainty and political pressure
The use of post-consumer recyclates (PCR) remains a key objective for the industry. However, availability is still limited, particularly in the plastics sector. This continues to slow down the transition to a higher proportion of recyclates in packaging.
Furthermore, the global trade environment is becoming increasingly volatile. The recently announced US tariffs of 50% on aluminium tubes, which came into force in August 2025, are creating new uncertainties for the industry and putting additional pressure on international supply chains.
Resilient industry with cautious optimism
„The first half of 2025 has once again shown that our industry is both challenged and resilient. Despite weaker demand in some key markets, particularly pharma and cosmetics, we continue to see growth in other sectors and tube types. The resilience of our members and their continued investment in innovation and sustainability makes us cautiously optimistic for the remainder of 2025.“
Zoran Joksic, etma President
Source: Etma
