The Italian packaging industry continues its promotional efforts in Mexico and Thailand

The Italian packaging machinery manufacturers are promoting Italian innovation at Expo Pack Guadalajara and Propak Asia.

Efforts to promote the Italian packaging industry at major international trade fairs are continuing at a rapid pace as part of the intense 2019 programme organised by UCIMA (Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers’ Association) with the financial and operational support of the Italian Trade Agency ITA.

Two major international events are scheduled for June.

The first, from 11 to 13 June, is Expo Pack Guadalajara (Mexico), one of the top shows in Latin America devoted to process and packaging technologies for the food & beverage, pharma and cosmetics sectors. The Italian delegation of companies will take centre stage with the participation of Agriflex, Camozzi, EcoPack, Easysnap, Ghezzi&Annoni, Imeta, IMS Technologies, MF Packaging and Tropical Food Technology. A strategic market for the Italian packaging industry, Mexico ranked sixth amongst its export destinations in 2018 with total sales of 193.5 million euros, 4.7% down on the record results of 2017. According to the forecasts published by the Ucima Research Department, the Mexican packaging machinery market has plenty of room for expansion in the three-year period 2019-2021, with annual average growth of around 7.7% predicted.

Next up will be Propak Asia, the most important Asian exhibition of packaging technologies to be held in the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) from 12 to 15 June. In the more than 1,000 sq.m Italian pavilion (Hall 103), Ucima has organised the participation of no fewer than 41 Italian sector companies: A Due, Acmi, Akomag, Arol, B.A. Processing, Bertoli Brand of Interpump Group, Binacchi, Cepi, CSF Inox, CFT Group, CT Pack, Emmeti, Finpac Italia, FPE, Frigel Firenze, Galdi, Ica, Levati Food Technnology, Mariani, Matrix, Megadyne, Melegari Technology, MilkyLAB, Ocme, Pe-Labellers, Pelliconi, Penta, PFM, Raytec Vision, Reda, Ricciarelli, Robopac, Sacmi, Senzani Brevetti, Sipa, SMI Group, Tropical Food Machinery, Turatti, Unitech, Zacmi and Zilli & Bellini.

On 12 June, Ucima will also be amongst the speakers at the Global Packaging Forum, an event organised by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) in collaboration with UBM Asia. Experts from all over the world will discuss regional and global trends in the field of sustainable and biodegradable packaging with a special focus on the 2025 goals, analysing specifically how the industrial system can contribute to reducing packaging and food waste. The conference will also discuss innovation, digital printing, robotics and automation.

In the Association’s institutional lounge, visitors will have a chance to pick up the English version of the magazine Packmedia Selection, a media partner of the Global Packaging Forum, with sections devoted to design, market data and technological innovation.

Thailand is a strategic gateway to Southeast Asia as a whole and in particular to the ASEAN region where Italy exported packaging machinery worth 253.3 million euros in 2018, ahead of Germany for the second year running at 219.1 million euros. According to Ucima Research Department figures, Thailand is Italy’s fourth largest market in the region with exports of 37.8 million euros, 15% of the total. The top three are Indonesia with 74.8 million euros, Vietnam with 56.7 million euros and the Philippines with 43.4 million euros.