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.

China has developed rapidly and, as a result, undergone considerable change. This has an impact on the economic and political environment to which the machinery and plant engineering industry cannot close its eyes.

Current issues relating to Russia sanctions, international procurement attempts, goods list checks, fulfillment bans and much more were discussed by 38 participants at the annual exchange of experiences of the Austrian national association.

On December 3, 2024 from 10 to 11 a.m. CET, the German-British Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK) and the VDMA will hold a web event to provide information on the current entry regulations for work assignments in the United Kingdom.

For many years, our trade fair calendar has served as a valuable guide for our members.

According to the latest VDMA survey, the mood and prospects in the mechanical engineering sector have deteriorated noticeably. This makes it all the more urgent for politicians to finally set the course for new growth.

The EU Commission proposes postponement of the Deforestation Regulation by one year following massive criticism.

The Western Balkans is a procurement market on our doorstep. Metal, wood and plastics processing as well as the textile industry and IT offer opportunities for nearshoring.

In this exclusive publication, we present Kamala Harris’s trade policy agenda and provide an assessment of the potential impact on machinery and equipment manufacturers.

Global machinery turnover is expected to fall by 2 percent in real terms in 2024. In 2025, a small growth of 1 percent could be achieved.

How are exports to Africa and the Middle East developing? Which are the largest local markets, which product groups are most in demand and what are the most important supplier countries? In our theme publication you will find facts, figures and data on foreign trade with Africa and the Middle East from the perspective of the mechanical and plant engineering sector.

In August, incoming orders in the mechanical engineering sector increased by 7% compared to the previous year. However, the upward outlier is not yet a trend reversal; special factors were responsible for the result.

The economic output of the machinery and equipment industry continues to shrink in many locations.

In the 2023 academic year, around 2,400 people started a dual study program in mechanical engineering/process engineering. This is an increase of 13% compared to the previous year and significantly more than in most other fields of study.

The following summarizes the discussions with VDMA members' branches in Turkey and with Turkish mechanical engineering companies as well as the second meeting of VDMA members in Istanbul.

On June 30, a new EU regulation came into force, which was adopted in response to the urgent challenges of climate change and species protection.

In the first half of the current year, price-adjusted production in the EU's machinery and equipment manufacturing sector shrank by 7 percent year-over-year.

On September 13, 2024, the Biden Administration released the final version of its four-year review of Section 301 tariffs, which includes sweeping tariff hikes on selected Chinese goods.

At a nominal plus 0.7%, German machinery exports in July were slightly above the previous year's level.

VDMA hopes for a breakthrough: a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Indonesia can significantly advance the European mechanical engineering industry in Southeast Asia.

The deforestation regulation forces us to act.

The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is currently valid for some countries and will be extended to European countries from 2 April 2025. Here are the current country overviews.

India has established itself as one of the up-and-coming markets for the European mechanical and plant engineering industry.

India wants to become a major economic power. The government is promoting growth with numerous measures. But locally, the paths to new business can be tortuous.

Weak global trade and a lack of investment will result in an 8% drop in mechanical engineering production in 2024. A trend reversal will probably not set in until 2025.

The discussion about "De-risking China" is in full swing in our industry. India is increasingly coming into focus as a growth market with high economies of scale.

The new European Parliament is in place. This is a good opportunity to actively draw the attention of the new Members of the European Parliament to the bureaucracy surrounding the posting of workers.

The Mercosur states are on the move and Europe can benefit from this. That is why the EU's free trade agreement with Mercosur must finally come into force.

For the first time in months, orders only fell in single digits in July. However, this does not yet mean a turnaround; there is a lack of impetus for new investments worldwide.

In the first half of 2024, German machinery exports to Latin America increased by 3%. The momentum has thus leveled off. The Chart Pack provides facts and figures on the market.

The US election campaign is in full swing. What if Donald Trump becomes president again? A VDMA analysis looks at the potential impact on trade policy.

The United States is the largest export market and the most important location for the German mechanical engineering industry. The chart pack provides information on the structure and development of the machinery market.

The June statistics on new orders for machinery in Japan showed that new orders from the "private sector (excluding ships and electricity)" increased by 2.1% month-on-month to 876.1 billion yen (5.4 billion euros).

Donald Trump has promised to impose new tariffs on all European imports. This and other trade policy promises are set out in an exclusive publication for members.

Since 1 July 2024 work assignments in the Czech Republic must be reported via an online reporting platform. The procedure is complex and many rules are still unclear.

Mechanical engineering recorded a nominal decline in exports of 4.8% in the first half of 2024. Weak demand from Europe and China in particular weighed on exports.

5,200 jobs have been lost in mechanical and plant engineering since the beginning of the year. Nevertheless, the shortage of skilled workers remains high due to the demographic challenge. What is needed now are structural reforms to secure skilled workers.

Japan's real GDP growth for the second quarter (April-June) was 0.8%, converted at an annual rate of 3.1%.

New opportunities for companies, investors, and individuals will emerge in Brazil and abroad as the H2 policy promotes economic development, environmental protection, energy security, and international cooperation.

Just because of their western influence, Americans seem culturally close to us Germans. But the reality is more complicated. Where are the differences, what needs to be considered?

There are no signs of a turnaround in incoming orders. Orders fell significantly in June and also with a view to the first half of 2024. Germany and the euro countries in particular are weakening.

The topic of free trade must be at the top of the EU agenda. However, Ursula von der Leyen's guiding political principles are disappointing in this respect: the conclusion of free trade agreements is not addressed. That is fatal.

Competition with China is also becoming tougher on third markets. The VDMA position paper formulates expectations of politicians with regard to China.

Numerous risks and the weak propensity to invest among many customers mean that the mechanical engineering sectors are taking a very cautious view of sales development in 2024.

We have further expanded our data offering for the USA: The new economic indicators dashboard for the USA now also includes detailed price statistics.

Global machinery turnover will stagnate in 2024 for the second year in a row on a price-adjusted basis. The forecast data is very mixed at country level.

VDMA revises real production forecast to minus 8%.

The old and new EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry. This is the right approach, but she lacks a commitment to free trade.

The USA is the world's largest buyer of machinery and Germany's largest export market. It is also one of the most important supplier countries.