SVI publishes guideline
The document is intended to support companies along the packaging value chain.
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According to Flexible Packaging Europe, prices for raw materials for flexible packaging stabilised in the third quarter - despite further increases in energy prices. However, the growing economic uncertainty is having an impact on demand from processors and end customers. Consumers in particular are more reluctant to buy packaged goods.
After two quarters of rising prices in the first half of 2022, prices have Raw material prices for flexible packaging stabilised in the 3rd quarter. The price of one-side coated paper with a grammage of 60 g/m2 increased (by 11 per cent), while 7-micron aluminium foil and 15-micron BOPA foil maintained their price from the second quarter. BOPP film with a thickness of 20 micrometres fell by 17 per cent compared to the previous quarter, but its price is still 10 per cent higher than in Q3 2021.
The price increases for Low-density polyethylene and high-density polyethylene are currently showing signs of stabilisation compared to the previous year, but there was also a double-digit price reduction compared to Q2 2022 (13% and 12%). The price of PET film fell by 2 per cent, i.e. a slight reduction compared to Q2 2022.
This stabilisation is important for processors and brand owners who have been in business since the last quarter of 2020. Seven consecutive quarters of rising prices for most flexible packaging materials only provided temporary relief.
„For the most part, substrate prices in Europe peaked in the 2nd quarter and then largely stabilised in the 3rd quarter. Paper prices rose by an average of around 10 per cent in both Q2 and Q3, while BOPP prices fell by almost 20 per cent in Q3. The price increases in Q2 were mainly due to the rise in raw material prices and rising energy costs, which was exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Towards the end of Q2 and the beginning of Q3, demand for substrates slowed down mainly due to the uncertain economic situation. Several processors and major brands recorded negative volume growth in Q2, although stronger results were also reported in some cases - depending on the vulnerability of the respective segment. Firm or falling prices for raw materials also supported the mostly stable price environment for substrates in Q3, although rising energy prices far outweighed any price decreases. The main risks to watch out for in Q4 are likely to be unfavourable developments in the economic situation, energy prices and supply.“
David Buckby from Wood Mackenzie
In view of the declining demand for oil and the barrel price, which is currently falling again from its peak in the first few months of 2022, it is expected that the Supply bottlenecks for raw materials that occurred in the first six months of the year are improving.. However, as winter is approaching in the northern hemisphere and energy supply disruptions continue to occur due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, gas and electricity prices have risen considerably and could rise significantly further in the future.
„We naturally welcome this price stability for raw materials in the third quarter, but this is only part of the overall picture. Processors are not only dealing with higher energy costs, but also with strong inflation in a variety of categories, so there are mixed feelings about the future. Similarly, consumers are also feeling the inflation in the price of everyday food items, most of which are packaged in flexible materials. Many of these items are of course essential, which is why demand for these basic consumer goods remains more stable than for other consumer goods. The return to normality in supply chains will also help our members to respond more quickly to changes in demand to meet the needs of their customers.“
Guido Aufdemkamp, Executive Director of Flexible Packaging Europe
Source: Flexible Packaging Europe
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