MILAN, Italy—Assocomaplast, the Italian polymer machinery federation, said exports of plastics and rubber machinery were 4 percent down in the first quarter of 2013 compared with same period last year.

The association said imports in the sector were down 9 percent. It added that orders started to slow in the final quarter of 2012. There was "a modest up turn in order portfolios," according to Assocomaplast's business climate survey in April-May.

Assocomaplast said that on the domestic front, there are no signs in the near future of any increase in production output that would renew processors' propensity to invest in equipment.