Markets & Economy - vdma.org

The Economics and Statistics department provides you with all industry-relevant economic and market information. Benefit from our expertise and use our statistics as a basis for smart business decisions.

VDMA Foreign Trade supports you and your export business. We prepare topics relevant to mechanical engineering for you: up-to-date and easy to understand.

The VDMA Foreign Trade team supports VDMA member companies in the internationalization of mechanical and plant engineering. We provide you with practical support in all matters relating to foreign business.

This web report provides an overview of the most important macroeconomic data for all countries in the world - including forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and information on the business environment. In April, the application received a major data update.

The majority of companies are cautiously optimistic about the current year. Supply chains are relaxing, but the supply of electronic components remains challenging. And the persistent shortage of skilled workers is also an obstacle for many companies.

Stay successful in a volatile market: VDMA offers an interactive report on European business climate indicators. Follow the developments of your most important European target markets and customer industries at a glance and make informed decisions based on current data.

Federal Minister of Economics Habeck will travel to India from July 19-22, 2023 accompanied by a business delegation.

In India, the business situation continues to be assessed as good, in Brazil it has deteriorated somewhat from a high level, and in China the situation is worse than in the fall of 2022 despite the discontinuation of the Corona measures, according to the latest VDMA business climate survey in these foreign markets.

Our new interactive report on foreign affiliates provides information on the number of subsidiaries as well as their employees and turnover - by EU reporting country and by industry. Get an insight into the investment structure of your target markets.

The EU Commission has launched the CO2 border adjustment system with Regulation EU 956/2023.

Russian government creates legal basis for foreign management of Western companies and lays foundation for expropriations.

U.S. Department of Treasury clarifies important interpretational boundaries of the IRA local content bonus.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is initiating a new "Platform Reconstruction Ukraine". What are the next steps?

In the first quarter, machinery exports from Germany rose by 13.8 percent year-on-year in nominal terms to 51.3 billion euros.

The so-called "windfall" tax is a one-time crisis measure to support the Russian budget.

From November 6 - 10, 2023, a BMWK delegation will visit Italy's gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries to exchange ideas on supply security and climate-neutral solutions. Visits and presentations to top EPCs and industry companies in Milan, Ravenna and Porto Marghera are planned.

The EU and U.S. should finally bury the hatchet on this half-decade-long trade dispute that has triggered uncertainty and increased costs for manufacturers in both markets.

The quarterly report "Machinery & Equipment in China" contains relevant key figures such as production, sales, profit and investment development about the local machinery industry as well as important customer industries in China.

An above-average order backlog is currently cushioning the weakening demand for capital goods at numerous companies. In Japan, however, the average quarterly result for the sector was negative.

In March, the mechanical and plant engineering sector in Germany recorded a real decline in orders of 6 percent. A small ray of hope after several months of double-digit declines, but not yet a turnaround.

Mechanical and plant engineering is one of the world's most important industrial sectors. We show the wide range of its economic indicators - presented in interactive charts and tables.

Modernization brings a game-changer for large projects and benefits for medium-sized export projects.

Bilateral business forum on June 29 in Burgas

Find new suppliers and solve supply chain problems - at the 9th Purchasing Initiative Western Balkans in Cologne you will have the opportunity to do so!

VDMA confirms real production forecast of minus two percent for 2023

The mechanical and plant engineering sector is demanding clear statements from politicians on how to secure and strengthen Germany and Europe as industrial locations. The necessary location debate requires great openness, and the path to 2035 must be designed in a way that promotes industry and small and medium-sized businesses.

A survey of VDMA members revealed that almost all companies are currently observing bottlenecks on the labor market for skilled workers. The survey was conducted in March 2023 with the participation of almost 600 people.

China has continuously expanded its position in global mechanical engineering in recent years. In many areas of mechanical engineering, Chinese manufacturers are the biggest competitors on international markets. Since 2020, China has even been the world export champion in mechanical engineering, displacing Germany into second place.

Customers in the mechanical and plant engineering sector were again reluctant to place orders in February. Order intake fell by 17 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. In addition to numerous uncertainty factors, a base effect from February 2022 must be taken into account. At that time, there were an enormous number of orders.

Clear words on China's economic policy are needed when EU Commission President von der Leyen travels to China. At the same time, the EU's China policy needs a sense of proportion in order to develop dialogue and trade in line with the times.

Economically, the Western Balkans are already closely intertwined with the EU. For German companies, the region is an interesting sales and procurement market.

This year Indonesia is the Partner Country of HANNOVER MESSE. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and by far the largest economy in Southeast Asia.

Now that Joe Biden has been President for two years, trade relations between the United States and the E.U. have improved markedly. Or have they?

The majority of companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector are cautiously optimistic about 2023 and expect nominal turnover growth. The situation appears to be gradually brightening for supply chains. However, there are still serious bottlenecks in the supply of electronic components.

How many apprenticeship positions are available in machinery and equipment manufacturing this year? How many applicants are there currently and how many positions have already been filled? How have supply and demand for the most important professions developed in recent years? Get all the information at a glance here.

The VDMA economists forecast price-adjusted turnover growth of 1 percent for the global machinery and equipment manufacturing industry in 2023. However, turnover will decline in the EU-27 and the USA.

Germany and the EU are called upon to intensify cooperation with allies like Japan. There is still considerable potential for mechanical and plant engineering in Japan.

In 2022, machinery and equipment sold worldwide was worth almost 3.4 trillion euros. In euro terms, this is around 12 percent more than a year earlier. In the TOP 10 country ranking, there were changes from seventh place onwards.

The EU is competing with China and the USA for market access in the Mercosur countries. The EU's free trade agreement with Mercosur, which has already been agreed, is a great opportunity for both regions.

Advancing digitalization, the development of climate-friendly technologies and the mobility revolution - the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry is facing enormous challenges. Securing the availability of skilled workers is becoming a mammoth task.

Latin America is gradually recovering after the pandemic triggered a deep slump in GDP and also in machinery demand. The chart pack offers facts and figures on the market.

There are many reasons for European companies to think about diversification of supply chains, production sites and sales markets. Indonesia is increasingly coming into focus in the machinery and plant engineering sector.

Overview - Events on the topic of reporting obligations for work assignments in Europe

For the first time, VDMA held a members' meeting in Cairo. Participants discussed market situation and current challenges in Egypt.

What are the effects of the IRA on the American market and what are the consequences for the European mechanical and plant engineering industry? Current VDMA publication provides an overview.

Some Inflation Reduction Act tax incentives require that all subcontractors use U.S. apprentices on the jobsite. This is impossible for many VDMA member companies.

Trade shows are finally underway again, and visa practices are hampering the success of the events. Foreign visitors and exhibitors report problems obtaining visas.

The machinery and plant engineering sector continues to support the economic sanctions against Russia. The question is whether they were extensive enough and enforced with the necessary political consistency. At the same time, they show some serious shortcomings in terms of craftsmanship: Errors in the lists of goods or the lack of 'blacklisting' of many Russian defense companies.

The EU-Commission has presented the trade agreement with New Zealand for ratification. VDMA welcomes this step and hopes that this will soon also be the case for other EU trade agreements.

The decline in exports will continue in 2023.