According to recent surveys conducted by the Ifo Institute, an increasing number of German companies are facing difficulties in sourcing necessary input materials. The percentage of businesses grappling with material shortages rose to 17.2% in June, up from 15.9% in May. Klaus Wohlrabe, head of the Ifo surveys, noted that although the Strait of Hormuz is now navigable again, the disruptive effects of previous instability are still being felt. He added that it will take some time before international supply chains reach full normalization.
The chemical industry remains particularly stressed by these shortages, with nearly a third of companies reporting difficulties (29.5%). The situation significantly worsened in the production of data processing equipment, as well as in the manufacturing of electrical and optical goods, where the affected rate climbed sharply from 25.5% to 34.2%. In the production of electrical equipment, bottlenecks continued to grow, reaching 27.7%. Meanwhile, the machinery sector remained relatively stable, reporting 15.6% material shortages. In the automotive industry, the proportion of companies affected saw an increase, rising from 10.0% to 15.7%.
In contrast, the situation eased for manufacturers of rubber and plastic goods, with their material shortage rate dropping substantially from 23.7% to 11.3%. Furthermore, companies in the beverage industry continued to report no material shortages.
