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News Release from: AFM
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 January 2008
Spanish machine tool 2007 exports rose
10.3%
The Association of Spanish Machine Tool Manufacturers (AFM) has reported machine tool production up by 7.3% and exports up by 10.3% during 2007.
Chairman of the Association of Spanish Machine Tool Manufacturers (AFM), Koldo Arandia, reported: "2008 is a year of challenges, a year of innovation, and the machine tool sector faces it with reasonably optimistic expectations We shall continue growing"
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 6 Jan 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Despite the sense of uncertainty and the forecasts for an economic slow-down, exports in the Spanish machine tool sector are up 10.3%, being largely responsible for the 7.3% hike in production, according to data published by AFM.
Turnover for Spanish Machine Tools in 2007 recorded a figure of EUR 1,050 million, up 7.3% and exceeding, in nominal terms, the sector's record figure of EUR 990 million recorded in 2001.
Exports in 2007 have soared to EUR 615 million- up 10.3% - and account for 58.6% of the sector's overall production.
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* Strong export markets - Germany and Italy, in Europe, alongside India and China, stand out as the most significant and highest- growth destinations.
In turn, the coverage of exports with regard to imports stands at 126.4%.
"We should not forget that our sector makes a positive contribution to the trade balance, which in a technology sector such as ours is worth mentioning", stressed Arandia.
The total apparent demand for machine tools in Spain (which is calculated by adding production and imports and subtracting exports) has risen by 4.51%, amounting to EUR 921.5 million.
* Uneven performance - 2007 has once again registered an uneven performance throughout the industry as a whole.
The fact is that a large number of companies have recorded two-digit growth figures, whereas others have flatlined.
Accordingly, the metal cutting sub-sector has been able to exploit the situation better, especially in the case of milling machines.
Metal forming manufacturers have recorded extremely modest growth figures, although the upturn in orders in recent months points to a more promising 2008 for them.
Moderate growth in output is expected in 2008, which may hover around 5-7%, although there are several risk factors of concern to the sector.
The high price of the euro, rising costs and the insufficiencies in the supply of productive inputs, together with the inflation differential with the rest of the eurozone, amongst others, are having an impact on the competitiveness of our industry, in which trade margins are still only improving slowly.
Arandia said that the solution to these difficulties lies in a firm commitment to innovation: "The Machine Tool sector delivers the means of production to key sectors in the economy (automotion, aerospace, railways, power generation, construction, etc) and is the veritable mainstay of competitiveness in an environment in which industry is the economy's driving force.
Our sector is therefore one that carries innovation intrinsically as simply a factor of survival.
We note the effort companies are making in innovation and management to refocus productions that run the risk of losing their market appeal".
He said that for 2008 AFM expected growth figures similar to last year.
The challenge is to service current order books, even when the supply network is often saturated, and to record positive results in operations closed in advance that are affected by rising inflation.
The inflation differential that erodes the competitiveness of companies, the unfavourable euro-dollar exchange rate and protracted delivery times are the difficulties that will characterise this year.
Arandia commented: "Nevertheless, the scenarios we are considering for 2009 continue to be favourable." * Spanish machine tool exhibition - within this context, companies are looking forward to the forthcoming edition of BIEMH, the Spanish Machine Tool Biennial Exhibition, to be held in Bilbao, March 3-8, 2008.
At the time of writing, over 56,000m2 of net exhibition area have been booked by 1.450 companies from 28 countries.
The BIEMH, organised jointly by AFM and BEC, is being held for the 25th time in 2008, being the third largest trade fair in Europe and the fourth in the world in its speciality.
"We trust that the BIEMH will provide an excellent opportunity to attract investment in latest generation machines that will enable industry to upgrade its means of production and drive growth in the domestic market, as has occurred in other countries in our vicinity," concluded Arandia.
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