
Aluminium foil shipments from European rollers were impacted in Q3 2023 by sluggish demand for foil products owing to high inflation and interest rates worldwide.

According to the survey carried out by the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), Q3 shipments amounted to 191,000 tonnes, down by 20.08 per cent from 239,0000 tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year.
Total foil shipments (both domestic and overseas) by European rollers during the first nine months of 2023 amounted to 636,000 tonnes – 12.9 per cent less than in the previous year.
Thinner gauges, used mainly for flexible packaging and household foils, continued double-digit declines, reflecting 19 per cent drop in domestic shipments and almost 40 per cent in exports. Year-to-date shipments of these gauges showed a decline of about 15 per cent, attributed to weaker demand in packaging applications for end consumer products.
Overseas deliveries of thicker gauges, used for semi-rigid containers, technical or other applications, also decreased by 20 per cent year-on-year on a 16 per cent demand fall from Europe.
Bruno Rea, Chair of EAFA Roller Group, said: “With so many issues outside our control, which now impact on economic activity, it is hard to place any certainty on demand. For sure, recovery can only be expected in 2024 due to higher resilience of our end markets, as well as other base effects, such as the reduction of armed conflicts and more confidence in economic growth prospects. Demand for packaging should recover in some degree as the Festive season approaches, while stock inventories will not remain high forever. So, the foil rolling sector hopes to see more positive signs ahead.”
However, AL Circle research team estimates the global aluminium foil usage to amount to 6.1 million tonnes in 2023, with Europe accounting for 16 per cent of the worldwide consumption. To know more such informative data related to aluminium foil, read our report - “Aluminium Foil and its End Uses: Current Trends and Forecast till 2028”.
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