Machinery exports are increasingly affected by the Corona pandemic. In the first quarter of 2020, they shrank by 6.6 % to 41.9 billion euros.

The corona pandemic has also affected the foreign markets of China, India and Brazil, which are important for mechanical engineering. According to a recent survey of VDMA member companies in these countries, however, China is now sending positive signals, while the crisis in the other two countries is still continuing.

The mechanical engineering industry is increasingly feeling the effects of the corona pandemic; orders are reduced or even cancelled. According to the VDMA flash survey, many companies are making capacity adjustments.

During the first six months of the current year, mechanical engineering companies in Germany recorded a significant drop in their order books. The only bright spot were the orders in large-scale plant construction, the VDMA announced.

The German mechanical engineering industry continues its downward trend: In May 2019, incoming orders fell again by 7% in real terms, the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.V.) reported in Frankfurt am Main. The association’s outlook for the entire year 2019 is pessimistic.

VDMA Metallurgie, together with the European association CEMAFON and the OPC Foundation, has launched the "OPC UA High Pressure Die Casting Initiative" to equip manufacturers and suppliers from the die casting industry for the future. The aim is to jointly develop a manufacturer-independent interface standard.

The VDMA has lowered its production forecast from 2 % to 1 %. The uncertainty on the world markets is making itself felt, says the association. This is mainly influenced by digitalization. Have buzzwords such as machine learning and industrial intelligence now arrived in reality?

In November 2018, the German mechanical and plant engineering industry was able to maintain its order intake at the previous year's level.

The past year can be described as turbulent. Despite the many crises, the German economy steered from one success to another. For this reason, economic analysts and associations are predicting a very clear trend for 2018: upward.