Strong Recovery of the Aluminium Foil Markets in Q3 2024
News General news
The European aluminium foil industry experienced a robust growth of 4.6% during the first nine months of 2024. According to the latest figures from the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), total deliveries rose to nearly 666,200 tonnes (2023: 636,200 tonnes) compared to the same period last year. Notably, the third quarter saw an increase of almost 15% to 220,300 tonnes (2023: 191,900 tonnes).
This growth in the first three quarters was evenly distributed, with 4.6% increases recorded both in thinner foil, primarily used for flexible packaging and household foil, as well as in thicker gauges, mainly utilised for semi-rigid containers, technical, and other applications.
Domestic deliveries within Europe showed a strong increase of 6% from January to September, primarily driven by high demand for flexible packaging and semi-rigid containers. This rising demand reflects the growing use of aluminium foil in various packaging applications.
After a subdued first half of the year, exports to countries outside Europe developed very positively in the third quarter, with a significant double-digit growth rate of 30%. However, on a year-to-date basis, exports are still down by nearly 6%.
"While demand for packaging applications and household foil remained strong, demand for technical applications is still weak due to sluggish activity in the automotive and construction sectors," commented Guido Aufdemkamp, Executive Director of EAFA. "The current upward trend shows that the industry is steadily stabilising and recovering. Despite subdued economic growth in Europe and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, we are cautiously optimistic about the final quarter and the next year."
