LIMITED opportunities for companies in the fenestration industry

Despite the economic growth announced by the National Institute for Statistics (INS) - and evaluated to + 4.8% in 2016 - the construction market in Romania is back in recession by statistical point of view, which is not good news for companies in the windows and doors fields whose development is directly influenced by the dynamics of the construction works, regressing last year with 4.8% as gross series. Although this state induced a decline exclusive in the engineering construction works (-11.2%) field and generated the collapse of capital repair works index (-23.5%), meanwhile the companies in windows industry registering an increase (+ 12.1% for residential buildings and + 1.1% for non-residential buildings), it is clear the fluctuations in demand of the domestic market remain real and companies should focus on further export. In this unstable context, it is interesting to note that, although are limited, the opportunities for companies in the sector are more clear. Even the Romanian companies have multiplied in recent period the export operations, their ability to transform themselves into real competitor of Polish "champions", whose export stands at over 1.55 billion euro is still limited. Data for the last full financial year, aggregated according to CAEN codes of Eurostat referring on all sorts and components used in Romanian industry of thermal insulating joinery (assemblies of PVC, aluminum / steel and wood - windows, doors, frames, sashes and frame), indicates that, as a whole, the companies involved in export operations has not reached now, quantitative nor value, the level which could put the domestic producers in leading positions, not even in the eastern European zone. According Eurostat, in 2015, Romanian exports of insulating joinery (all the varieties mentioned above) amounted to nearly 186.4 million euro (or 2.29 million units). This value increased by 8 % compared to 2014 and by + 135% compared to the reference threshold of the first year after accession to the European Union (2008).