Things are picking up for the German chemical industry: VCI President Karl-Ludwig Kley said at a press conference that for the overall year 2014, the VCI maintains its forecast of a 2 % increase in chemical production. With only slightly falling prices of –0.5 %, they expect sales to improve by 1.5 % to ca. EUR 193 billion.
In a comparison with the previous year, the number of employed in German chemical companies went up by 0.5 % to currently 440,000 staff.
With a clearly higher production volume (+3 %), German chemical industry sales expanded irrespective of falling prices of –2 %: from January to June 2014, total sales amounted to EUR 98 billion and were 2 % higher than in the 1st half 2013.
Also the global economy is developing well: due to shale gas development and commercialization, the economy in the US saw a greater growth than in Europe. However, total EU chemicals sales during the first three months of 2014 were 0.1 % higher than the same period of last year. This is 2.3 % higher than the pre-crisis, full-year peak reached in 2008.
Hubert Mandery, Cefic Director General, thinks that “the energy prices continue to put a strain on commodity chemicals, which are more energy-intensive. Our overall health and ability to compete depend on policy that ensures secure and competitively priced energy and feedstock.”
Image: Chemical Production in Germany © VCI
Index 2010 = 100, seasonally adjusted, changes to previous year in %
brown: change; blue: index; orange: annual average
