ifo Survey
Industry is once again facing more frequent material shortages
Currently, more industrial companies are again reporting problems sourcing intermediate goods. This is shown by surveys conducted by the ifo Institute. In June, 17.2 percent of companies were struggling with material shortages, up from 15.9 percent in May.
“Although the Strait of Hormuz is once again passable, the effects of the disruptions are still being felt,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, head of ifo surveys. “It will likely take some time for international supply chains to return to normal.”
Chemical, electronics, and electrical industries are particularly affected
The situation in the chemical industry remains particularly tense. Nearly one-third of companies in that sector (29.5 percent) report material shortages. Among manufacturers of data processing equipment and electronic and optical products, the situation has worsened significantly: The proportion of affected companies rose from 25.5 to 34.2 percent. Bottlenecks also continued to increase among manufacturers of electrical equipment, reaching 27.7 percent.
In the mechanical engineering sector, the situation remained virtually unchanged, with 15.6 percent of companies affected. In the automotive industry, the percentage rose from 10.0 to 15.7 percent.
By contrast, the situation has eased somewhat for manufacturers of rubber and plastic products. In that sector, the percentage of companies experiencing material shortages fell from 23.7 to 11.3 percent. Manufacturers in the beverage industry continued to report no material shortages.
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