ifo Export Expectations Plummet (March 2020)
Sentiment among German exporters has deteriorated drastically. In March, the ifo Export Expectations in manufacturing decreased from minus 1.1 points to minus 19.8 points. This marks the biggest drop since German reunification and brings the index to its lowest level since May 2009. The coronavirus pandemic is slowing down global trade and cross-border logistics is becoming more difficult. This affects Germany as an exporting nation particularly strongly.
Export expectations fell in almost all industrial sectors, in some cases significantly. The automotive industry was hit particularly hard and now expects significant declines in exports. In mechanical engineering, the outlook is also gloomy, and the same is true for manufacturers of textiles and clothing. Among manufacturers of electrical equipment and in the chemical industry, meanwhile, the observed decline was comparatively moderate.
Clemens Fuest
President of the ifo Institute
