Hard times continue for German machine tools

07.08.2009 - Even in the mid-year forecast, the German machine tool industry sees no respite ahead from the present profound crises in demand. In the second quarter of 2009, orders plummeted once more by 65 per cent over against against the previous year's figures, with domestic demand dropping by 71 per cent and foreign orders falling by 61 per cent.


The overall figures for the first half of 2009 have a similar tale to tell. Taken as a whole, orders slumped by 67 per cent, with a 71 per cent loss in domestic demand, and a 65 per cent drop in foreign orders.

http://www.vdma.org/wps/portal/Home...WZM/Wirtschaft_und_Recht/Wzm_en_A_20090807_AE

 

What value are TOOLS in age given to socialism and humanism?

 

That trend would change if those "tools" were converted to printing presses.

 

Its a sad thing for the German tools and autos. They build the long to last and I like what they make, but the stuff is just too expensive and becomes uncompetitive. Its the high taxes in Germany that makes their stuff so expensive.