German textile machinery sector faces headwinds: VDMA director

15 Jun '23

1 min read

Pic: Shutterstock/Matveev Aleksandr

Insights

German textile machinery demand has dipped due to global tensions and material shortages, says Dr. Harald Weber, MD of VDMA Textile Machinery Association.
An energy crisis and high inventories, amplified by sluggish consumption in China, Europe, and North America, contributed to investment reluctance.
However, technical textiles sector showed resilience.

The demand for German textile machinery has also seen a marked decrease in recent months, observed Dr. Harald Weber, managing director of VDMA Textile Machinery Association, in a recent interview with Fibre2Fashion. He also highlighted several ongoing challenges that the mechanical engineering industry, particularly the textile machinery sector, has been facing.

“The war in Ukraine, the pandemic, and disputes between China and the US have made international relations more uncertain, while material shortages are expected to continue impacting business activity in 2023,” Dr. Weber told F2F. He also expressed concern over the energy crisis causing significant uncertainty in European customer industries, notably in textile finishing.

A general reluctance to invest across the textile chain is driven by sluggish private consumption in China, Europe, and North America, along with high inventories. For instance, stocks at sporting goods manufacturers alone have doubled.

However, Dr. Weber suggested the technical textiles sector has been less affected, offering a glimmer of hope in these challenging circumstances.

Click here to read the full interview.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (NB)

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