As reported by the Munich-based ifo Institute on April 15, German industry is hardly struggling with material shortages. In March, 10.2% of the companies surveyed reported shortages, compared to 14.6% in February. "
The supply of raw materials and intermediate products has improved significantly in recent times," says Klaus Wohlrabe, head of the ifo surveys. "The situation is now almost back to pre-coronavirus levels."
"The wage dispute at Deutsche Bahn has been settled and the logistics sector has adapted to the conditions in the Red Sea. That's why there are fewer problems at the moment," says Wohlrabe. In no sector does the proportion of companies affected by bottlenecks exceed 20%.
Manufacturers of data processing equipment are the most affected at 18.2%. This is closely followed by producers of electrical equipment (17.5%), mechanical engineering (14.4%) and the chemical industry (14.5%). In the other sectors, the figure is well below 10% in some cases. The industry experienced the peak of supply problems in December 2021, when 81.9% of companies reported difficulties.
