Coronavirus: EuroPur updates production status 7 April 2020

Brussels – Europe's flexible foamers supplying the furniture and mattress industries now estimate that April production could be down between 30% and 90% with retail outlets closed across the continent.

Online sales of mattresses and beds are holding up, said EuroPUR in its latest survey of the sector. But the Association added that this is 'not compensating for drastic drops in demand elsewhere. 

Currently mothballed plants may be shipping foam from stock to meet the small level of demand.

Although EuroPUR suggests overall flexible polyurethane foam production could be down anywhere between 60-70% across Europe, there small glimmers of hope.

One bright spot is foamers reporting that exports of technical foams to Asia have restarted. At the same time some foamers are preparing to restart to supply automotive customers. Several OEMs have suggested they may start around 20 April and have asked their suppliers to get ready. EuroPUR believes it is 'quite uncertain that this planned timeline can be met.' This is because of the highly integrated nature of automotive supply chains.

Click on this link to see an updated map of the situation. 

EuroPUR surveyed over 30 companies across the continent. This is a snapshot of its findings:

France: all plants closed due of a lack of demand. 

Iberia: some medical foam manufacture in Spain is operating. Plants there could be opened from 9 April, but retailers are to remain closed to the end of the month. All but two foam makers are closed with the ones open making sponges and medical mattresses. All but one foam plant (making medial foams at low volumes) in Portugal is closed. Companies hope to re-open in mid-April but may wait for demand from Spain and France to pick up.

Turkey: Most PU foam plants are closed. The country's largest foamer is hoping to restart this week. All but one other will be closed for a further week.

Italy: The only PU foam plants operating are tied to medical programmes. The rest are shut and are likely to remain so until the government lifts the lock down.

Russia: The nation extended a national holiday until 30 April but each nation in the Federation can chose what to do, so the situation is complex.

Benelux: Plans can remain open but those that are are operating at reduced levels.

Austria, Germany, Switzerland: Plants operating at reduced capacity.  There are no government restrictions on production.

Poland: Plants can operate along as companies take precautionary measures but the export-driven market is suffering from a lack of international demand.

Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia: all have companies working at much reduced capacity. There are no government restrictions on production. 

Greece, the Balkans, Cyprus: operating at much reduced capacity. There are no government restrictions on production.

Romania and Bulgaria: operating at much reduced capacity because of low demand. There are no government restrictions on production.

Scandinavia and the Baltics: Plants can operate and the reduction in output is less dramatic than in other regions

UK and Ireland: All UK plants are open and operating at reduced capacity. Irish plants are continuing to make medical foams.

Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan: In the Ukraine plants have stopped. In Kazakhstan plants have stopped. There is no information about Belarus.