According to a recent flash survey of the members of the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen, manufacturers of plastic packaging are experiencing increasing supply bottlenecks for various raw materials.
Within 24 hours, 75 companies took part in the association's survey. The feedback shows that important raw materials are missing: Three quarters of the participating companies reported a poor to very poor supply situationThis applies in particular to the raw materials PP, HDPE, LDPE and PA.
(Image: IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen)
"Plastic packaging manufacturers are alarmed and very worried. The survey results show a significant deterioration in the supply of raw materials compared to the beginning of the year. And at the moment, nothing points to a End of these supply bottleneckse. In addition, dramatic price jumps are weighing on the industry." Dr Martin EngelmannManaging Director of the IK
Supply bottlenecks feared to worsen
Over 80 per cent of plastic packaging manufacturers now state that their production and therefore their ability to deliver has already been restricted. are. Four fifths also expect this trend to continue or even worsen. The increasing number of force majeure notifications from raw material suppliers in Germany and Europe, most of which are declared at very short notice, is further exacerbating the situation. Eight out of ten packaging manufacturers in Germany are currently affected by one or more cases of force majeure.
"If the production of packaging comes to a standstill due to a lack of raw materials, this also jeopardises the systemically relevant supply of safely packaged food and medical products to the population," emphasises Dr Engelmann. "We appeal therefore urge our Partner in the plastics manufacturing industrynot to leave packaging manufacturers in Germany hanging in this crisis and to pull out all the stops to defuse the situation as quickly as possible."
Developments became apparent
The shortage of raw materials has, according to IK caught many plastics processors "cold". In autumn last year, the industry was still expecting a stable supply. However from the end of November the scarcity and rising prices of raw materials.
The supply bottlenecks are due to IK-The main reasons for this were an unexpectedly rapid recovery and demand in the automotive sector and other industries, a simultaneous lack of raw material imports from the USA and Saudi Arabia, which are being diverted primarily to Asia, plant outages in storm-hit Texas and declarations of force majeure by raw material suppliers in Europe.
Source: IK Industrial Association for Plastic Packaging
