Refinery: Material shortages could pose a threat to the upswing
Photo: Patrick Pleul / picture alliance / dpa
Almost two thirds of German industrial companies complain of bottlenecks and problems with pre-deliveries.
From April to July, the proportion of companies affected rose from 45 to 63.8 percent, according to the Ifo Institute's quarterly survey published on Monday.
"The companies already reported a record in the previous quarter, which was again clearly exceeded," said the head of the Ifo surveys, Klaus Wohlrabe.
"That could pose a threat to the upswing." Before the corona pandemic, the peak value was 20.2 percent in the third quarter of 2018.
"The purchase prices, which have risen sharply in some cases, are also problematic," said Wohlrabe.
“At the moment, manufacturers are still serving the demand for finished goods from their warehouses.
But they are now also emptying more and more, as they have told us. "
The shortage of semiconductors and chips is particularly noticeable among manufacturers of electrical equipment (84.4 percent) and among car manufacturers and their suppliers (83.4 percent).
The sharp rise in prices for plastic granulates is slowing manufacturers of rubber and plastic goods (79 percent).
Among the manufacturers of electronic devices, 72.2 percent complain about a lack of materials, as well as 70.3 percent of the machine builders.
mik / Reuters
