German commodity polymer production in

The commodity plastics are only manufactured by a few producers in plants with a high product output. Table 1.9, showing the number of manufacturers for some plastics, is based on a VKE survey, though only 40 % of the companies were included. 

France produces 15 % of total European plastics, and ranks second in the European scale behind Germany. On the world scale, France ranks in fourth position, behind the US, Japan, and Germany. 

With a production of 6.56 million tonnes in 2001, the French production of plastics has increased by 0.9 % from 2000 to 2001. However, regarding the turnover, there has been a downturn in the plastics production sector in France, of 3 % between 2000 and 2001, representing EUR 7700 million. This downturn was partly caused by the decrease in oil prices during this period. 

The increasing globalisation of markets and the diminishing importance of tariff walls have led to an intensification of worldwide competition on which the companies responded with a consolidation strategy. 

In 2001, the French national consumption of plastics was 5.35 million tonnes. The plasturgy is responsible for 85 % of the consumption, with 40 % being absorbed by the packaging industry, 25 % by construction activities, and 13 % for the automotive industry. The key economic figures from the plastics production sector in France in 2000 are given in Table I.IO.  

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