Sugar confectionery: Exports develop favourably in 2007

Exports of sugar confectionery developed very positively in 2007. With a volume of around 172,000 tonnes, exports increased by 4.7% in comparison to the previous year in 2007. The value of exported sugar confectionery last year was €466 million, which corresponds to an increase of 8.4%. The increases in exports of sugar confectionery to countries outside the European Union were particularly strong, amounting to 20.1% in terms of volume and 18% in value. In 2007, sugar confectionery worth €120 million was exported outside the EU. Around 25% of sugar confectionery exports were to non-EU countries, whilst 75% were to countries in the European Union. The Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI) presented the latest figures in the run-up to the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM) in Cologne.

Overall, production of sugar confectionery fell slightly in 2007. According to the BDSI's calculations, production output was approx. 541,000 tonnes (- 1 %) in 2007. This corresponds to a production value of around €1.73 billion, which is almost the level recorded in the previous year. Per capita consumption in Germany was unchanged at around 6 kg with a value of €20.00.

The development of prices for raw ingredients is a concern for the manufacturers of sugar confectionery. In particular, increases in the price of glucose have put manufacturers under pressure. At the start of the year, prices had already risen by 30% and rose further during the course of the year, leading to a total increase of around 50%. In particular, the situation has intensified significantly for producers of bonbons, gum drops and lollipops with high glucose content.

The International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM) is taking place in Cologne for the 38th time. With 1,675 suppliers from 70 countries, the most important fair for the confectionery sector has set a new record regarding its number of exhibitors. ISM is open from Sunday, 27th until Wednesday, 30th January for trade visitors only.

The organisers of ISM are Koelnmesse and the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair Working Group (AISM), which is the conceptual sponsor.

Source: Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI), Bonn, Specialist Division for Sugar Confectionery
22nd January 2008

Information on ISM:
www.ism-cologne.de (www.ism-cologne.com)

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