According to figures released by EDANA, production of non wovens in Europe grew by just over 5 per cent in 2005, to reach 1,403Mt. This compares with 1,336Mt in 2004, when the annual growth was 3.7 per cent.
According to a comparison based on the same sample of companies in 2004 and 2005, the average price of non wovens has not decreased, but for the first time in many years, increased by about 2 per cent, from €3.220 to €3.285/kg. As a result the total turnover of the European non wovens industry is estimated at around €4,610M.
While, the main end use for non wovens remains the hygiene market, with a 33 per cent share of deliveries, the most dramatic growth areas in 2005 were protective clothing (29.6 per cent) and medical/surgical (25.1 per cent), closely followed by agriculture (22.4 per cent). PP continues to be the most important polymer used in the industry, accounting for 46.4per cent of the total consumption, but, for various reasons, polyester has retained the highest growth.
The positive EU balance of exports and imports of non wovens roll goods has continued to decrease. In 2005, the 25 Member States together exported 203,140t of non wovens (against 247 000t in 2004) at a value of almost €870M, which represents a 10 per cent decrease on the previous year.
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