Wednesday, 20 June 2012

EDANA Middle East Symposium - Dubai - 14th and 15th Feb 2012

Introduction

40 companies displayed their products in the Exhibition and over 275 delegates from 151 countries attended this, the third EDANA Middle East Conference and the second to be held in the Jumeirah Beach resort in a hot and sunny Dubai February.  While only about half the delegates appeared to be in the conference at any one time, it was the exhibition rather than the baking beach that appeared to be the main alternative attraction.

EU and MENA Nonwovens

Pierre Wiertz, General Manager EDANA (Belgium) presented Jaques Prigneaux’s paper on trends in the nonwovens market based on detailed replies from 82 members:


In 2010, EU27 tonnage recovered to 1.785 million. Area produced, which did not decline in 2009, moved on to 54.2bn sq metres and if 2010 is compared with 2008, total tonnage was up by about 3.5%.  Notably, wet-laid and dry-lay spunlace did not regain the losses of 2008-9.  Apparel and Home nonwovens failed to recover to 2008 levels, and Hygiene only just made it into positive territory.  Medical showed the strongest recovery.
162,000 tonnes of staple-fibre nonwovens and 136,000 tonnes of spunmelt nonwovens were produced in MENA in 2010, this being expected to rise...
... to 177,000 and 248,000 tonnes respectively by 2015.  Hygiene (35%), Wipes (28%) and Construction (22%) were the main MENA applications for nonwovens in 2010.  Medical had 9% and Industrial 6%.

EU27 exports and imports rose sharply in 2010 giving a positive trade balance of around 110,000 tonnes.  Nonwoven exports from EU27 to MENA increased rapidly since 2006 and reached 63,000 tonnes (compared to imports of 41,500 tonnes) in 2010.  This made MENA the EU’s second most important trade partner after the non-EU27 Europe region.  NAFTA was third. Saudi Arabia (25.3%), Egypt (15.8%), Algeria (15.3%), Tunisia (13.8%) and Morocco (10.7%) took most deliveries from the EU.

Most imports to EU27 came from NAFTA (43,800 tonnes) with MENA second (41,500 tonnes).  China was third with 37,900 tonnes.
  • Israel delivered 85.5% of the EU27 imports from MENA, and Saudi Arabia 11.4%.
  • Most MENA exports went to NAFTA (50,100 tonnes) followed by EU27 (41,500 tonnes) and Other Europe (23,600 tonnes)
  • Import duties of 3.4% were still a barrier to increased trade with many MENA countries.
  • MENA consumed 700gms of nonwovens per capita compared with 3kgs in the EU27.
(More paper summaries later)

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