Foreign Investors Appreciate Germany
Germany has proven itself internationally as an investment location, even in the crisis year 2009. Compared to the previous year, investment project inquiries increased slightly. Read more
17 Percent of EU Imports from China
The share of China in EU27 trade in goods continued to rise in the first six months of 2009. Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are the largest trading partners of the People’s Republic. Read more
Improvement in the Ifo Business Climate
The Ifo Business Climate Index for industry and trade in Germany rose once again in May. Although the firms have again assessed their current business situation more unfavourably than in the previous month, they have given clearly fewer poor assessments of their six-month business outlook. This points to a gradual stabilisation of economic output at a low level. Read more
Comparison of European Labour Costs by IMK
Germany’s labour costs still share a middle ranking at position eight among European States. Read more
Import Prices: Sharpest One Month Drop
As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) in October 2008, the index of import prices increased by 2.9% from the corresponding month of the preceding year. This was the lowest year-on-year-rate since October 2007 (+2.3%). Read more
35.4% Improvement in Raw Materials Productivity since 1994
In 2007, overall raw materials productivity in Germany was 35.4 percent above its 1994 level. This is one of the findings of the new indicator report on sustainable development in Germany, compiled by the Federal Statistics Authorities (Destatis). The national strategy for sustainable development in Germany aims at doubling raw materials productivity from 1994 to 2020. Read more
Steel Price Hikes – Nervous Commodity Markets
Prices on the commodity markets are fluctuating widely, probably also in the weeks to come. Only a few companies provide information free of charge on the internet to research current rates for crude oil, copper, steel and precious metals.
6 tips on links for market analysis:
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Westmetall does not only provide a very clearly structured survey of the prices at the London Metal Exchange (LME prices), charts and market reports included, but also of German metal prices in euros, per 100 kilogram, and of prices for precious metals.
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Tecson informs about global crude oil prices using numbers, charts and a dollar/euro comparison of prices.
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Prices for copper have plunged. Südkupfer gives an overview of the most important and latest market data and prices.
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The CRU Steel Price Index offers current charts and statistics as well as international news on the steel market development.
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At the London Metal Exchange (LME), price fluctuations of aluminium, copper, nickel, zinc, lead and aluminium alloys can be observed. Registered users get a selection of market data free of charge.
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Hans Jürgen Kerkhoff, President “Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahl” (Steel Association) and Chairman of Stahlinstitut VDEh, summarised the state of the market in his presentation in Washington on 5 October 2008. This 16-page pdf-document contains current charts on Germany’s steel market (Steel Industry facing New Challenges) and on market supply developments. It does not identify an improvement of market supply conditions. Prices for coking coal, ore and chrome reached record levels. Tin and scrap metal prices fell for the first time at the end of summer 2008.
Slump in Orders hits Textile Machinery Market
Within a period of less than 10 months, German textile machinery manufacturing has experienced a slump in orders that nobody would have expected recently. Read more
Empty Market for IT Specialists
There are currently around 45,000 job vacancies for IT experts in Germany, according to a study presented by the high-tech association BITKOM in Berlin today. Read more
Expanding Market for Commercial Vehicles in September
In a difficult environment, the number of newly registered commercial vehicles continued to rise in September. 32,500 vehicles were sold in Germany, 12 percent up on last year. Read more
