The output of the European tube industry continued its upward trend in 2016 despite the complicated economic and political environment in Europe and the rest of the world. According to the European Tube Manufacturers Association (etma), total tube production rose one per cent year-on- year.
etma’s Secretary General Gregor Spengler was justifiably pleased with these good figures: “In light of Brexit and the resulting uncertainties coupled with the economic difficulties that continue to exist in parts of southern Europe and the growing threat of terrorism, which are creating insecurity for many consumers and dampening their willingness to spend, one cannot rate this result highly enough. It demonstrates impressively the capability of our member companies, who after all account for some 70 per cent of total European tube production. And with their innovative capability and their high quality standards European companies, and in particular our member companies, are determining quality criteria worldwide. They are pointing the way forward for new developments and technology and are recognised around the globe as the undisputed benchmark. Our European standards for the production of tubes are the yardstick globally and thus make a decisive contribution to quality standards for tubes all over the world.”
Some 90 per cent of the well over ten billion tubes produced by etma member companies in 2016 were used in Europe. Aluminium tubes currently have a market share of 37 per cent, the same as laminate tubes, while plastic tubes account for some 26 per cent of the total.
These figures mean laminate tubes were able to improve their market position. Their growth was mainly attributable to growing use in markets for cosmetic applications. It was the cosmetic sector that also showed the largest gains in 2016: it accounted for 46 per cent of all tubes used. It was well ahead of the tube markets for toothpaste, with just over 20 per cent of the total volume, and the pharmaceuticals sector, with just under 20 per cent. The wide- ranging food products sector still accounted for almost nine per cent of all tubes produced, while the remaining five per cent went into industrial or household applications.
etma’s Secretary General Gregor Spengler sees the prospects for 2017 as being broadly stable: “Last year showed that the tube can assert itself successfully as packaging in a highly competitive market even during difficult times. Tubes are highly popular all over the world because of their unbeatable functionality and their consumer convenience. The tube’s growth potential is far from exhausted, though. I see opportunities, for example, for shampoos, which are still marketed overwhelmingly in bottles, as well as in other areas. The wealth of outstanding benefits of the tube as a form of packaging, which is tailormade for an increasingly mobile society, and the inventiveness of our industry will result in further completely new products and applications. That is why I am very optimistic about the future development of tube markets.”
