The graphic paper sector as a whole the segment is worth 25.3 billionpesa 1.4% of GDP Italian and boasts 4 billion in positive balance of the trade balance. A growth of 15.7% equal to 3.4 billion compared to 2020, which brings the sector back above pre-pandemic levels. This result was driven by record growth in the paper sector, by an excellent trend in the transformation and production of printing and converting machines and also by a good recovery in the publishing graphics sector.
“This increase – said the president of the Federation of Graphic Paper Emanuele Bona in his report – is certainly the result of real production growth, but it must also be interpreted taking into account the sharp increase in prices that characterized the whole of 2021, especially in the final months of ‘year. Increases that concerned in particular the paper sector, which attempted to recover part of the huge increases in the cost of fibrous raw materials and above all the significant increases in gas and energy costs ».
The satisfaction with the excellent market data is certainly mitigated by the strong ones concerns linked to the market scenario: “Energy prices, raw material prices and difficulties in finding them and, above all, the daily uncertainty in which we find ourselves operating make the conditions for doing business really difficult for each of us. In the first quarter of 2022 the situation got worse and it has become even more complicated, also as a consequence of the dramatic conflict in Ukraine. The solution, in some cases and to ensure the economy of our companies, is to stop production. Provided that the cause of the stoppage is not the lack of raw materials. A new fact that has never been seen before, but which clearly highlights the gravity of what is happening, ”said Bona.
The considerations on the scenario then led the President of the Graphic Paper Federation to illustrate the requests of the Graphic Paper Federation in terms of the Government’s industrial policies regarding three specific issues. Energy issue: “The emergency measures, fundamental and necessary to guarantee operational continuity for our companies, are good, but strategic energy policy choices are needed to create competitive conditions in the medium term: for example, breaking down the barriers that still prevent us from having in Europe a single gas market, with equal access conditions », explained Bona.
Development of the circular economy: «In Italy we have already exceeded the 2030 recycling targets for packaging in almost all materials. In paper, the recycling rate in packaging is over 85% and almost 63% of the paper and cardboard produced in Italy is made from recycled paper and in the production of corrugated cardboard, the paper to be recycled is the only raw material . In Europe, it is necessary to make our model better known and to defend it, avoiding that the new directives expected on waste and packaging are in contrast with the Italian approach of industrial policy to the circular economy that pushes on recycling. As happened with the directive on single-use plastics, based on bans, restrictions and demonization of single-use products, even those based on cellulose, and appropriately implemented in Italy with just corrective measures “.