The shortage of materials in German industry has worsened once again. 77.4% of industrial companies in Germany reported bottlenecks and problems with the procurement of primary products and raw materials in September. The previous month's record was surpassed once again, with 69.2 percent reporting shortages in August. This is according to a survey by the ifo Institute. "The bottleneck on the procurement side is getting tighter and tighter," says Klaus Wohlrabe, head of the ifo surveys. Price increases remain on companies' agendas.
"There are a lot of orders, but companies are currently unable to produce them," he adds. The situation is particularly serious in the automotive industry. Almost all companies (97 percent) reported problems. The proportion is also still very high in other key sectors: electrical equipment (93%), the chemical industry (67%) and mechanical engineering (89%). In the paper industry, significantly more companies also reported shortages on the procurement side (79% after 61%). There was no easing of the situation in any sector.
As a result, more and more companies want to increase prices. Most recently, the automotive industry had not seen as much scope for price increases. This has now changed.
