Industrial SMEs continue to slide toward the drop zone, according to Holger Ade of the Steel and Metal Processing Trade Association (WSM). "Production fell by 1.9 percent from January to June compared to 2022, four out of 14 sectors are sliding into double-digit negative figures, and every second company fears a further deterioration."
According to a WSM survey, only just under 27 percent of respondents currently consider their situation to be good. Optimistic are only 7.8 percent, 47 percent of the medium-sized industrial companies look ahead with concern. WSM Managing Director Christian Vietmeyer therefore calls on politicians to act: "Among other things, our industries need a hurdle-free industrial electricity price that is accessible to all companies. And a Growth Opportunities Act that brings real tax relief."