The VDMA trade association reports that demand in the plastics and rubber machinery industry remains flat.
 

According to the latest figures on incoming orders and sales, the industry has yet to bottom out, according to a statement from the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery (German Engineering Federation). “We still have to wait a little while for the turnaround. From January to August, incoming orders were still down 16 percent year-on-year. The weakness in demand affects all markets equally – but the European domestic market is particularly affected. Even the large markets such as China or the USA are weakening considerably. We see a few rays of hope at a low level in Mexico and India,” explains Ulrich Reifenhäuser, chairman of the board of the trade association (photo). The slump in orders was now also directly reflected in sales. From January to August 2024, it was 7 percent below that of the previous year. This means that the forecast for the current year also has to be revised downwards, says Reifenhäuser. The companies are now expecting a drop in sales of 10 to 15 percent for 2024. For the end of 2024, the VDMA hopes for a slightly improved order situation as a result of interest rate cuts by the central banks. However, it will then still take until the middle of next year for the positive impulses to be reflected in sales, says Thorsten Kühmann, managing director of the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association. For 2025, a sales development of between 0 and minus 5 percent is expected.
 
Sources:

• Press release VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery (7.10.2024)
• Photo: © VDMA