Overall European shipments of aluminium fell almost 5% year-on-year to 204,00t during Q1, according to figures published by the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA).
However, demand for thinner gauges mostly used for flexible packaging and household foil suffered more – registering a decline of 6%.
Shipments of thicker foil – typically for semi-rigid container and technical applications – slumped by almost 10%.
But the one piece of good news was that exports from Europe jumped by nearly 9%, underlining the competitiveness of the European foil rollers on a global scale, said EAFA.
“The slow start reflects the overall European economic situation with quite stable regions and less performing areas,” said EAFA director Stefan Glimm. “The prevention of food waste through its excellent barrier and preservation properties should provide aluminium foil a healthy future.”