Sales of German-made equipment for processing plastics and rubber grew an unexpected 2% to €6.3 billion last year, according to Thorsten Kühmann, managing director of that industry sector’s association at the German engineering federation VDMA.

The surprise increase followed July predictions that sales would fall 2% in 2012 before turning around to grow 7% this year. In a video on the VDMA's website, Kühmann reiterated the association’s expectations of €6.5 billion in total sales this year, but he curbed the rate of growth to 3% following last year's unexpected upturn.

He said last year's growth came despite declining orders throughout the year. “We expect orders to reach their nadir in the spring of 2013,” he predicted, explaining that orders will then rebound and grow through the end of the year.

Kühmann added that orders from China are expected to rise in 2013, the US will show positive development, India and Russia are seen having strong demand and the domestic German market will display “moderate development”.

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