eu market survey 2003 - crecer

Italy’s import. It was mainly China and Eastern European countries which took advantage of the
declining importance of intra-EU trade and showed considerable growth.
Germany
As stated earlier, Germany is the largest national import market of table- & kitchenware in the
EU. In 2001, the German import showed the biggest decline of all the markets discussed in this
survey. Imports dropped by 7.5 percent in terms of value and 7 percent in terms of volume,
totalling € 1.8 billion in terms of value and 545,000 tons in terms of volume in 2001. In the four
years preceding 2001, the German import grew on average 6 percent in terms of volume annually.
The Eurostat statistics reveal that, except in the porcelain & china segment, all product groups
imported by Germany declined in terms of value in 2001. Between 1997 and 2001, the porcelain
& china import increased by almost 20 percent, amounting to € 169 million in 2001. The import
of ceramicware dropped by more than 22 percent in that same period.
Germany’s most important product group,
metalware, dropped both in terms of value
(7.5%) and in terms of volume (9%) after
two year of considerable growth. In 2001,
the import of metalware stood at € 478
million. Germany’s second import market is
plasticware, which accounts for 25 percent
of the total import and accounted for a value
of € 458 million. The import value of
cutlery showed a tremendous decline of
almost 12 percent in 2001. In the preceding
year however, this product group
represented a growth of almost 20 percent.
The trade flows indicate that, as in the rest
of the EU, the import deriving from outside
the EU is becoming more important. In
2001, more than 60 percent of the German
table- & kitchenware import derived from
extra-EU countries.
Spain
After years of considerable growth, the
Spanish import of table- & kitchenware
showed a tremendous drop. In 2001, the
import decreased by 7 percent in terms of
value and more than 10 percent in terms of
volume. That year, the import of table- &
kitchenware represented a value of € 554
million and a volume of 182,000 tons.
Glassware was the only import market in
Spain which showed a slight growth in
2001. Because of this development, it
became the largest import market at the
expense of metalware, reflecting the fact
that metalware imports dropped by more
than 15 percent in terms of value and by
more than 20 percent in terms of volume.
Spain’s third import market, plasticware,
Figure 5.6
600
500
400
300
200
100
-
Figure 5.7
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
-
478
Metalware
Glassware
Imports of table- & kitchenware into
Germany by product group, 1999-
2001, in € millions
458
Plasticware
366
Glassware
241
Cutlery
169
Porcelain & China
Ceramicware
85
1999
2000
2001
Woodware
32
Source: Eurostat, 2002
Imports of table- & kitchenware into
Spain by product group, 1999-2001, in
€ millions
142
136
Metalware
Plasticware
90
Porcelain & China
80
Cutlery
62
Ceramicware
35
1999
2000
2001
Woodware
8
Source: Eurostat, 2002
38