According to the latest survey by the German Plastics Packaging Industry Association, nearly 90% of the respondents think that the current economic situation in the industry is good and they have positive expectations for sales in 2018. However, the German plastic packaging industry is still facing unfavorable factors such as the price hikes of raw materials and tax reform impact .
In December, the German Plastics Packaging Industry Association (IK) conducted a simple survey of 100 industry professionals and found that 90% of the companies think the current economic situation is good. The association said: "Compared with the beginning of 2017, The proportion of enterprises with confidence in the economic situation of the industry increased significantly. At the beginning of the year, only 70% of the members considered the economic environment as good.
Respondents rated their sales in the first quarter of 2018 as more positive, but the export assessment was essentially flat compared to 2017. Nearly 60% of respondents said they expect raw material prices to rise, which may affect the plastic packaging The IK survey added: 'The profitability is still tight.'
According to IK's survey, over-average performance over the past two years has caused the company's expectations to rise again, but Ulf Kelterborn, managing director of IK, commented on the survey's findings reminding that 'promising prospects' can not hide the fact that Germany's economy is facing growing The threat of growth '.
He pointed out: 'In addition to the high cost of electricity, Germany now needs to be prepared for a stronger international tax competition.' 'Kelterborn said the U.S. corporate tax cuts have triggered a corresponding tax reform in China and other industrialized countries More than 28% of the effective tax burden on German companies is already quite heavy and needs urgent correction.
The German Plastics Packaging Industry Association pointed out that other risk factors are 'increasingly severe skills deficiencies', as well as space and digital infrastructure, and these factors may worsen and hinder economic growth at 'faster than expected' levels. The Packaging Industry Association concluded: "The government needs to make forward-looking decisions in this area as soon as possible."