By the end of this year (2020), exports, inside and outside the European market, should decrease by 15 to 20%. This was one of the main conclusions of the webinar 'Europe: Statistics & Trends' organised by ISTMA World on October 1st.
The decrease in exports is a scenario that has been pointed out by many industrial sectors, says Prof. José Camacho, guest speaker at this session, explaining figures and graphics presented during this session. And he made a remark throughout his speech: uncertainty is the only thing that the economy is guaranteed at a unique moment in history, which is the Covid-19 pandemic.
Directing his presentation to the mould and die industry and taking as a starting point its main client, the automotive industry, he noted that the registration of vehicles in Europe decreased "almost 80% in April" and that in August, "was maintaining falls of about 20%". He also drew attention to a topic considered to be important: before the Covid-19 period, the European economy was already showing signs of slowing down.
The presentation was followed by a panel debate leaded by Joaquim Menezes, ISTMA Europe President, with participation from Julia Moore (GTMA – UK) and Alfred Zedtwitz (VDMA – Germany).
In the opinion of ISTMA Europe President, José Camacho's presentation should be analyzed by the ISTMA National Associations and the conclusions resulting from these internal discussions should be presented at ISTMA's next meeting on November 12.
The webinar was attended by representatives from die and mould companies and associations from several countries, revealing similar challenges on different latitudes: a decrease in orders, especially from the car industry, and a huge pressure on prices.
Bob Williamson, ISTMA World President, left a note of hope. In his speech, closing the session, he revealed that there are signs, even if tenuous, of increased activity in the moulding sector. And he pointed out two ways for companies: to focus on agility, in order to satisfy the needs of their clients, and to try to develop methods to improve response times. "We will be able to overcome these adversities, but we have to be strong and resilient", he underlined.
