German plastics machine makers received far fewer orders in January versus the year-earlier period, according to the plastics and rubber machinery division of German engineering association VDMA (KuG, Frankfurt; www.kug.vdma.org).

Incoming orders collapsed 40% at the beginning of the year, and compared to the past two years, the trade group said new orders are “coming in only very hesitantly” and warned of “declining investment mood on the part of processors”.

Nevertheless, association officials told Plasteurope.com that the order books at machine makers serving the plastics and rubber machine sectors are still full, so that significant sales should be generated again this year. Sales in January were 21% higher than in the previous year.

According to the VDMA, even more sales could be achieved if the “disruptive factors” such as a lack of primary materials and skilled workers did not exist.

The situation is similar when comparing 2022 with 2021: last year, incoming orders fell 13% from the previous 12 months, but sales were up some 10%. The VDMA did not provide detailed data on orders and turnover.