In 2017, producers belonging to the EPLF reported worldwide sales of 477 million m2 of laminate flooring manufactured in Europe (2016: 477 million). Thus the global laminate market remains stable on a high level. The EPLF’s “home market” of Western Europe again registered a decrease during 2017, while Asia once again registered significant growth rates. EPLF laminate flooring sales in North and South America achieved an increase in 2017. And in Eastern Europe, increases were predominantly seen in the relatively large Russian market.
Sales in Western Europe (including Turkey) in 2017 reached the figure of 243 million m2 (2016: 250 million m²), which represents a decline of 2.9 % compared to the previous year. With 57 million m² sold (2016: 63 million m²), despite a plunge by 10 % and the continuing substitution trend towards thermoplastic flooring, Germany remains by far the most important single market in Central Europe.
France remained stable in 2017 with 37.6 million m² (previous year: 37.4 million m²) and continues to occupy second place in Europe. The United Kingdom continued its positive trend for EPLF members, it registered sales of 33.8 million m² (prev. year approx. 33 million m²), an increase of nearly 2.5 %. This puts it in third place ahead of Turkey, where the turnover for Association members slumped again in 2017: laminate sales fell there by 9.2 % down to 24.9 million m² (previous year: 27.5 million m²). The Netherlands can lay claim to fifth place again with over 19.7 million m² (previous year 19.3 million m²). Spain follows on behind with nearly 17 million m² (prev. year 17 million m²).
Once again, more EPLF laminate was sold in Eastern Europe in 2017 than in the previous year – at 128 million m² (prev. year 126 million m²), European laminate floor producers in that area achieved an increase of 1.9 %. Even if the increase rate was not as good as in the previous year, this area remains an important growth market for the EPLF. Since 2015, the Association has been aware of approx. 20 million m² of products made by our EPLF members in Russia that have not, for various reasons, been captured in the statistics. In 2017, Russian members of the EPLF reported sales of nearly 35 million m² (prev. year 34 million m²), which means they achieve a growth rate of 5.2 %. Poland registered a steady result with nearly 31 million m² in 2017 (previous year: 31 million m²). A slight downturn was seen in Romania with 13.2 million m² (prev. year 13.6 million m²). Subsequent places in the ranking are occupied by Ukraine with 7.4 million m² (previous year 6.2 million m²) and a growth rate of 18.2 %, then Hungary at 6,5 million m² (previous year 6.2 million m²) and Bulgaria at 5 million m² (previous year 5 million m²).
In North America, the EPLF’s series of successes in European laminate flooring continues: with 49 million m² in 2017 (prev. year: 47 million m²), this region once again managed to increase its growth rate with 4.7 % more sales than in the previous year. The USA demonstrated an increase of 8.1 % in 2017 with approx. 32 million m² (previous year 29 million m²), while Canada showed nearly 18 million m² (prev. year: 18.1 million m²).
The strongest positive trend was seen in Asia-Pacific, where EPLF producers reached total sales of more than 29 million m² for 2017 (prev. year 27 million m²), thereby gaining an increase over the previous year of around 8.7 %. The largest growth in Asia in 2017 was accounted for by the important Chinese market including Hong Kong; sales there came to projected 9.6 million m² (prev. year 8.6 million m²), which equates to a rise of 10.8 % compared to the previous year. The EPLF sees good potential also in the market of Kazakhstan, which was first reported in 2016, with 3.6 million m2 sold in 2017 (prev. year 2.8 million m2), and an increase of 39 %. Meanwhile Israel reached 2.2 million m² (prev. year 2.4 million m2), the figure for Saudi Arabia was stable at 2.7 million m² (prev. year 2.7 million m2), and for Taiwan it was nearly 1.8 million m2 (prev. year 1.6 million m2) and an increase of 18 %.
Latin America gained 3 % in 2017 with 17.7 million m² (prev. year: 17 million m²). The sales figures in the largest single market of Chile rose by 4.6 % in comparison with the previous year at 7.7 million m² (prev. year 7.3 million m²). Mexico recorded 4.3 million m² (prev. year: 4.3 million m²), Columbia registered 1.6 million m² (prev. year: 1.5 million m²) and Argentina’s figures rose again to 2.2 million m² (prev. year: 1.4 million m²).