The EU Folding Boxboard Market Reached $9.6B

March 6th, 2020 IndexBox Leave a comment

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘EU – Folding Boxboard – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The revenue of the folding boxboard market in the European Union amounted to $9.6B in 2018, growing by 7.9% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). Overall, folding boxboard consumption continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2011 when the market value increased by 8% year-to-year. In that year, the folding boxboard market attained its peak level of $10.7B. From 2012 to 2018, the growth of the folding boxboard market remained at a lower figure.

Consumption by Country

The countries with the highest volumes of folding boxboard consumption in 2018 were Germany (1.1M tonnes), Poland (1M tonnes) and France (1M tonnes), with a combined 40% share of total consumption.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of folding boxboard consumption, amongst the main consuming countries, was attained by Poland, while folding boxboard consumption for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, the largest folding boxboard markets in the European Union were Germany ($1.4B), Poland ($1.3B) and France ($1.3B), with a combined 41% share of the total market.

In 2018, the highest levels of folding boxboard per capita consumption was registered in Austria (63 kg per person), followed by Poland (27 kg per person), the Netherlands (21 kg per person) and Italy (17 kg per person), while the world average per capita consumption of folding boxboard was estimated at 15 kg per person.

Market Forecast to 2030

Driven by increasing demand for folding boxboard in the European Union, the market is expected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next decade. Market performance is forecast to accelerate, expanding with an anticipated CAGR of +1.8% for the period from 2018 to 2030, which is projected to bring the market volume to 9.8M tonnes by the end of 2030.

Production in the EU

In 2018, approx. 12M tonnes of folding boxboard were produced in the European Union; picking up by 1.6% against the previous year. The total output volume increased at an average annual rate of +1.5% over the period from 2007 to 2018; the trend pattern remained consistent, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations throughout the analyzed period. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2010 with an increase of 7.6% y-o-y. Over the period under review, folding boxboard production attained its peak figure volume in 2018 and is likely to continue its growth in the near future.

Production by Country

The countries with the highest volumes of folding boxboard production in 2018 were Sweden (3.1M tonnes), Finland (2.8M tonnes) and Germany (1.8M tonnes), with a combined 64% share of total production. Italy, Austria, Poland and France lagged somewhat behind, together accounting for a further 24%.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of folding boxboard production, amongst the main producing countries, was attained by Poland, while folding boxboard production for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Exports in the EU

In 2018, the amount of folding boxboard exported in the European Union totaled 11M tonnes, approximately equating the previous year. The total export volume increased at an average annual rate of +2.3% over the period from 2007 to 2018; however, the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded in certain years. In value terms, folding boxboard exports totaled $13.3B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018.

Exports by Country

The exports of the three major exporters of folding boxboard, namely Sweden, Finland and Germany, represented more than two-thirds of total export. Italy (503K tonnes), Belgium (461K tonnes), Austria (363K tonnes), Poland (350K tonnes), France (341K tonnes), the Netherlands (319K tonnes), Spain (295K tonnes), Slovenia (233K tonnes) and the UK (214K tonnes) held a minor share of total exports.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of exports, amongst the main exporting countries, was attained by Belgium, while exports for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, Sweden ($3.1B), Finland ($2.8B) and Germany ($2.8B) appeared to be the countries with the highest levels of exports in 2018, together comprising 66% of total exports. Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Spain, Austria, the UK and Slovenia lagged somewhat behind, together accounting for a further 30%.

Export Prices by Country

In 2018, the folding boxboard export price in the European Union amounted to $1,160 per tonne, jumping by 5.1% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the folding boxboard export price, however, continues to indicate a slight reduction. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2011 when the export price increased by 12% year-to-year. In that year, the export prices for folding boxboard reached their peak level of $1,471 per tonne. From 2012 to 2018, the growth in terms of the export prices for folding boxboard remained at a somewhat lower figure.

There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major exporting countries. In 2018, the country with the highest price was Poland ($1,711 per tonne), while Slovenia ($753 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Slovenia, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Imports in the EU

The imports totaled 7.3M tonnes in 2018, approximately mirroring the previous year. The total import volume increased at an average annual rate of +1.5% from 2007 to 2018; the trend pattern remained consistent, with only minor fluctuations being recorded over the period under review. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2010 when imports increased by 14% against the previous year. The volume of imports peaked in 2018 and are likely to continue its growth in the immediate term. In value terms, folding boxboard imports amounted to $8.9B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018.

Imports by Country

In 2018, Germany (1.4M tonnes), distantly followed by the UK (768K tonnes), Italy (743K tonnes), France (678K tonnes), Poland (671K tonnes), Spain (546K tonnes), the Netherlands (541K tonnes) and Belgium (462K tonnes) represented the main importers of folding boxboard, together mixing up 79% of total imports. The Czech Republic (208K tonnes), Austria (190K tonnes), Portugal (159K tonnes) and Hungary (139K tonnes) took a little share of total imports.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of imports, amongst the main importing countries, was attained by Poland, while imports for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, Germany ($1.7B), the UK ($928M) and Italy ($849M) appeared to be the countries with the highest levels of imports in 2018, with a combined 38% share of total imports. These countries were followed by France, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Hungary, which together accounted for a further 49%.

Import Prices by Country

The folding boxboard import price in the European Union stood at $1,217 per tonne in 2018, increasing by 7.7% against the previous year. In general, the folding boxboard import price, however, continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2011 when the import price increased by 12% y-o-y. In that year, the import prices for folding boxboard reached their peak level of $1,458 per tonne. From 2012 to 2018, the growth in terms of the import prices for folding boxboard remained at a lower figure.

Average prices varied somewhat amongst the major importing countries. In 2018, major importing countries recorded the following prices: in Austria ($1,416 per tonne) and Portugal ($1,407 per tonne), while the Czech Republic ($1,125 per tonne) and Belgium ($1,136 per tonne) were amongst the lowest.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by the Netherlands, while the other leaders experienced a decline in the import price figures.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform

Archives, Global Trade Daily, Special Reports

3 Privacy Compliance Priorities for Manufacturers in Ecommerce

February 26th, 2020 Michael Bird Leave a comment

Manufacturing leaders aren’t exactly diving into the world of ecommerce headfirst. Instead, they’re cautiously dipping one toe at a time into the waters. Several things keep them from going “all in,” so to speak, but one of the most serious is compliance with privacy regulations.

In June 2018, California’s governor signed the California Consumer Privacy Act into law. This year, the law officially went into effect. Under the CCPA, companies must notify users if they intend to monetize their data and give them the option to opt-out.

Its reach will be significant. The law is expected to affect more than 500,000 businesses in the United States alone — and many more around the world.

Those that fail to comply will face hefty fines. So if manufacturers are going to survive in the age of ecommerce, they won’t be able to wade in little by little and take on privacy compliance halfway. Privacy regulations are complicated, and compliance can literally make or break a business.

Ignorance of the Law Is Not a Defense

Most companies that do business online have researched state and national laws to some extent, but data privacy laws aren’t easy to understand. To truly comply with all of their nuances and demands, businesses have to hire additional people, integrate complex processes into internal operations, and put forth massive amounts of effort.

Most got into ecommerce with the hopes that having an online presence would help them avoid headaches and reach customers more easily. But when the market matures, regulations do, too. And while most companies know not to send email newsletters to people who didn’t subscribe or sell customer information without permission, they don’t know the finer details of regulations, much less how they differ by state.

For instance, a prospective client reached out to us after it had ended up in court for violating a state privacy law it didn’t know existed. The company’s website was using an assumptive privacy policy, which assumes that users agree to their data being collected and used by merely using the site. Because the company was using the site to do business in a state that banned these privacy policies, it faced a potential fine of $1,000 per site visit. The company ended up settling the case out of court, but it was still a shocking and scary discovery.

Even for well-meaning manufacturers, ignorance doesn’t hold up in court as a legal defense. Intentional violations can cost up to $7,500 per violation. And unintentional violations can be $2,500 per violation, making even accidents a significant cost. Manufacturers are timid about ecommerce because data privacy and compliance are intimidating. Some never pursue ecommerce for this very reason.

Imagine a small manufacturer that’s decided to sell online. It goes through the entire process of building a site, implementing new operations, and calculating shipping as transactions occur. Then suddenly, it has to be responsible and ready for multiple data checks and data wiping. It’s a lot to take on, both from the operations and the financial perspective. In total, meeting compliance standards could initially cost companies up to $55 billion.

Make Ecommerce Security a Priority

As you implement ecommerce in your manufacturing business or work to strengthen compliance with your current ecommerce system, here are three things to focus on:

1. Ensure that your systems are secured and encrypted. Wherever your ecommerce data lives, you need to be 100% sure it’s secured and encrypted. This is especially important if you’re handling, storing, or passing along credit card information.

Doing this is a combination of several elements. First, have an audit done that considers your specific industry so you can be entirely sure you know what regulations to comply with and to what degree. After that, you’ll have to put additional processes into place, and those processes will likely need additional software and hardware systems to serve their purpose.

We’ve worked with manufacturers where credit card information was being stored on-site and transferred between systems in a way that wasn’t secure. Often, older ERP systems don’t have the necessary security fields. It’s key, then, to move to a modern ERP and integrated ecommerce system to avoid and rectify situations like these.

2. Monitor employee access. Be aware of which employees have access to your development, staging, and production systems. While digital hacking is a security concern, physical access to information is, too. The best way to control who has access to private information is to grant permission to only specific roles and for only certain pieces of the system. A developer shouldn’t be making coding changes and publishing unchecked. A combination of role-based technical security and tight control on physical access is the best way to address this concern.

A manufacturing company often has a small technical team. We’ve seen teams of one that have access to all levels of data in these smaller organizations. Hiring multiple people just for data privacy management and security purposes is a serious financial burden, but you need to make having multiple people designated to multiple parts of the privacy process a priority.

3. Keep up with CCPA and GDPR. Being aware of and keeping up with CCPA and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation will be essential to staying compliant. If you meet the criteria for CCPA, be sure that you can wipe customers’ information from existence completely upon request.

If your annual gross is more than $25 million or you derive more than half of your annual revenue from selling California residents’ information, you have to comply with the law. This means being transparent about your data-usage policies, giving consumers access to the information you’ve collected about them, offering the choice to sell their information, and being capable of deleting all of their personal information upon request.

Knowing the processes and resources you need to handle compliance obligations is the hard part. You need people who can handle customer requests for data review and deletion and who can remove and keep the right data. Being supported by business and accounting teams will make this process smoother and stronger.

A few years ago, the internet was like the Wild West. Like most wild things, it gets bigger and needs to be tamed and managed. That management is a process. Some laws sound good on paper but will do more harm than good if fully enforced. They can even force honest manufacturers away from ecommerce. Ultimately, we will find a balance with responsible security and data if everyone works together. In the meantime, be aware of laws and make an honest effort to comply with them. There’s plenty of opportunity in ecommerce; you just have to pursue that opportunity with the right systems, team, and security in place.

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Michael Bird is the CEO of Spindustry, a digital agency focused on eCommerce, SharePoint portals, and enterprise websites. He has almost 30 years of experience in interactive development, user behavior, and business solutions.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Global Non-Alloy Steel H-Sections Market is Estimated at $17.9B

February 21st, 2020 IndexBox Leave a comment

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘World – H-Sections Of Of Non-Alloy Steel – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends And Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The global non-alloy steel h-sections market revenue amounted to $17.9B in 2018, rising by 11% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price).

Exports 2007-2018

Global exports stood at 6.2M tonnes in 2018, surging by 4.9% against the previous year. Over the period under review, non-alloy steel h-sections exports, however, continue to indicate a noticeable curtailment. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2010 with an increase of 25% against the previous year. The global exports peaked at 9M tonnes in 2007; however, from 2008 to 2018, exports stood at a somewhat lower figure.

In value terms, non-alloy steel h-sections exports amounted to $4.3B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018. In general, non-alloy steel h-sections exports, however, continue to indicate a drastic reduction. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2010 when exports increased by 31% year-to-year. The global exports peaked at $8.4B in 2008; however, from 2009 to 2018, exports stood at a somewhat lower figure.

Exports by Country

In 2018, Luxembourg (1,099K tonnes), South Korea (1,070K tonnes), Germany (805K tonnes) and Spain (665K tonnes) represented the key exporter of h-sections of of non-alloy steel exported in the world, making up 59% of total export. It was distantly followed by the U.S. (305K tonnes), committing a 4.9% share of total exports. The following exporters – Japan (230K tonnes), Thailand (229K tonnes), the United Arab Emirates (212K tonnes), Italy (200K tonnes), Taiwan, Chinese (195K tonnes), Poland (181K tonnes) and the UK (158K tonnes) – together made up 23% of total exports.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of exports, amongst the main exporting countries, was attained by the United Arab Emirates, while exports for the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, the largest non-alloy steel h-sections supplying countries worldwide were Luxembourg ($794M), South Korea ($688M) and Germany ($598M), with a combined 48% share of global exports. Spain, the U.S., Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Italy, Taiwan, Chinese, Poland and the UK lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 39%.

The United Arab Emirates experienced the highest growth rate of the value of exports, among the main exporting countries over the period under review, while exports for the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Export Prices by Country

In 2018, the average non-alloy steel h-sections export price amounted to $699 per tonne, going up by 18% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the non-alloy steel h-sections export price, however, continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2008 when the average export price increased by 37% year-to-year. In that year, the average export prices for h-sections of of non-alloy steel attained their peak level of $1,053 per tonne. From 2009 to 2018, the growth in terms of the average export prices for h-sections of of non-alloy steel remained at a somewhat lower figure.

Average prices varied somewhat amongst the major exporting countries. In 2018, major exporting countries recorded the following prices: in the U.S. ($948 per tonne) and Germany ($743 per tonne), while South Korea ($643 per tonne) and the UK ($650 per tonne) were amongst the lowest.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by the U.S., while the other global leaders experienced a decline in the export price figures.

Imports 2007-2018

In 2018, approx. 6.4M tonnes of h-sections of of non-alloy steel were imported worldwide; growing by 2.3% against the previous year. In general, non-alloy steel h-sections imports, however, continue to indicate a slight downturn. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2010 with an increase of 23% year-to-year. The global imports peaked at 7.7M tonnes in 2007; however, from 2008 to 2018, imports failed to regain their momentum.

In value terms, non-alloy steel h-sections imports totaled $4.4B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018. Over the period under review, non-alloy steel h-sections imports, however, continue to indicate a significant shrinkage. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2011 when imports increased by 26% against the previous year. The global imports peaked at $7.6B in 2008; however, from 2009 to 2018, imports stood at a somewhat lower figure.

Imports by Country

The countries with the highest levels of non-alloy steel h-sections imports in 2018 were Canada (592K tonnes), Germany (450K tonnes), South Korea (377K tonnes), the U.S. (356K tonnes), the Netherlands (348K tonnes), China, Hong Kong SAR (293K tonnes), Turkey (255K tonnes), the UK (253K tonnes), France (213K tonnes), Belgium (191K tonnes), Myanmar (186K tonnes) and Malaysia (160K tonnes), together accounting for 57% of total import.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of imports, amongst the main importing countries, was attained by Myanmar, while imports for the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, the largest non-alloy steel h-sections importing markets worldwide were Canada ($466M), Germany ($316M) and the Netherlands ($261M), together accounting for 24% of global imports. South Korea, China, Hong Kong SAR, the U.S., Turkey, the UK, France, Belgium, Malaysia and Myanmar lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 32%.

Among the main importing countries, Myanmar experienced the highest growth rate of the value of imports, over the period under review, while imports for the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Import Prices by Country

In 2018, the average non-alloy steel h-sections import price amounted to $680 per tonne, picking up by 15% against the previous year. Overall, the non-alloy steel h-sections import price, however, continues to indicate a slight contraction. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2008 an increase of 32% against the previous year. In that year, the average import prices for h-sections of of non-alloy steel attained their peak level of $1,078 per tonne. From 2009 to 2018, the growth in terms of the average import prices for h-sections of of non-alloy steel remained at a lower figure.

Prices varied noticeably by the country of destination; the country with the highest price was Canada ($788 per tonne), while Myanmar ($239 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by South Korea, while the other global leaders experienced a decline in the import price figures.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform

Archives, Global Shippers 101, Global Trade Daily

UK and Germany Ship the Most Parcels in Europe

February 20th, 2020 Ed Vaizey Leave a comment

Technology has allowed us to exchange information, images, and video more easily than ever before. Back when the internet was first taking off, many predicted that this would spell the end for traditional parcel delivery. But these predictions have been proven to be wrong: the global shipping industry is in ruder health than ever, thanks to the rise of online retailers, and of an increasingly interconnected global economy.

In Europe, two nations stand clearly ahead of the rest of the pack: the UK and Germany. Both countries shipped around 3.5 billion parcels in 2019, according to the Pitney Bowes Shipping Index. That was a 12.4% annual increase for the UK, where there are around fifty-three parcels shipping per capita each year, which is the second-highest number of any country in the world.

Both countries have extremely consolidating shipping industries, with a handful of major carriers accounting for a majority of parcels shipped. In the UK, customers can compare the various services on offer through comparison sites like Parcel2Go.

So where does that put the rest of Europe? France sits way behind, at just 1.3 billion parcels shipped per year, while Italy is way down at less than a billion. Norway and Sweden are down at 61 and 127 million respectively – which is far less than the major players, even after you account for their respective populations.

Where does the UK sit Globally?

All of this has to be judged, of course, against a global backdrop. Shipping has more than doubled over a five-year period going back from 2018 when eighty-seven billion parcels were shipped in a single year. That was a volume increase of 17% from the previous year’s total of seventy-four billion, and works out at around 2,760 parcels shipped every single second. Somewhat incredibly, this explosion in shipping has almost kept pace with the population growth; there were twelve parcels per person shipped in 2014, and twenty-three in 2018.

Three nations stand out as major players in the global shipping industry. These are China, the US and Japan, who collectively account for some 83% of global traffic. China, as you might expect, sits way ahead of the pack with an incredible 51 billion parcels shipped. The US comes in significantly behind, at 13 billion, and Japan just behind that at 9 billion. Japan accounts for the highest per-capita shipping frequency.

What’s Next?

This trend shows no sign of abating in the future, and is likely to only accelerate as new markets emerge. The report indicates that shipping will likely double again over the next six years, with global parcel-shipping reaching an incredible 200 billion parcels.

Archives, EU Trade, Global Trade Daily

Sweet Biscuit, Waffle And Wafer Market in the EU Reached $5.5B

January 27th, 2020 IndexBox Leave a comment

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘EU – Sweet Biscuits, Waffles And Wafers – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends And Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The revenue of the market for sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers in the European Union amounted to $5.5B in 2018, surging by 3.2% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). Overall, consumption of sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern.

Consumption By Country in the EU

The countries with the highest volumes of consumption of sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers in 2018 were the UK (278K tonnes), Italy (269K tonnes) and France (224K tonnes), with a combined 50% share of total consumption. These countries were followed by Germany, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Belgium, which together accounted for a further 39%.

From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of consumption of sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers, amongst the main consuming countries, was attained by Romania, while consumption of sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, the largest sweet biscuit, waffle and wafer markets in the European Union were Italy ($1.4B), the UK ($1B) and France ($697M), together accounting for 56% of the total market. These countries were followed by Germany, Spain, Ireland, Romania, Portugal, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and Belgium, which together accounted for a further 35%.

The countries with the highest levels of sweet biscuit, waffle and wafer per capita consumption in 2018 were Ireland (11,206 kg per 1000 persons), Slovakia (6,497 kg per 1000 persons) and Portugal (4,933 kg per 1000 persons).

Market Forecast 2019-2025 in the EU

Driven by rising demand for sweet biscuit, waffle and wafer in the European Union, the market is expected to start an upward consumption trend over the next seven-year period. The performance of the market is forecast to increase slightly, with an anticipated CAGR of +0.6% for the seven-year period from 2018 to 2025, which is projected to bring the market volume to 1.6M tonnes by the end of 2025.