After the contractions recorded in 2012 in production (-5.1%), domestic demand (-4.6%) and foreign trade (exports -5%, imports stable at low levels ) 2013 too shows a downtrend, even though featuring a progressive abatement of the rates of degrowth.

In particular 2013 ended with the following balance:
- production +0.3%
- exports +0.25
- imports -5.1%
- domestic demand -0.9%.
Hence for the third year running the packaging sector shows a drop in production, in line with Italian manufacturing growth figures and the economic crisis affecting the European Union.

But compared to the assumptions in the interim balance drawn up at the end of 2013, the final balance was less negative. By analysing the performance of  the various sectors of production, we find that:
-  steel packaging is down by 1.1%;
- aluminium packaging reconfirms the low levels of activity of 2012;
-  cellulose packaging is down by 0.1%;
-  rigid polylaminate containers are  down by 1.5%;
-  plastic packaging shows a decline in production of 2.7%;
-  flexible converter packaging, thanks to the good run of exports,  put in a growth of 4%;
-    glass packaging, also thanks to good export flows, should have limited the drop in production to 0.8%;
-    wood packaging ended the year with a drop in the production of 2.7%.
For the Italian packaging sector, expectations for 2014 are tinged with moderate optimism, in consideration of a possible resumption of the manufacturing industry, this also including the main countries of the European Union. 

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Report on the state of packaging (3)