The business climate index of the German automotive industry showed a significant increase in July, from -31.6 points in June to -23.8 points in the seventh month of the year. However, the index published by the Ifo Institute in Munich remained in negative territory.
“It is still unclear whether this is the beginning of a recovery or just a brief respite.”, said Anita Wölfl, a specialist at the German institute, “Even after the agreement in the ‘tariff war’ with the USA, the situation in global trade remains tense.”
German automotive companies assessed their current situation as noticeably better in July: the indicator rose to -28.1 points, from -35.8 points in June. In this way, companies say they are a little less pessimistic about the future: business expectations increased from -27.3 points in June to -19.3 points in July.
Companies also evaluated their overseas business in a less pessimistic manner: export expectations rose from -13.6 points in June to -5.3 points in July. In this regard, companies believe they are significantly better positioned in competition with other countries than in the previous quarter. This is particularly noticeable in relation to other EU countries: just over 30% of respondents confirmed that their position has improved.
However, the economic surveys from July still do not reflect the tariff agreement reached between the European Union and the USA. Although the agreement reached has put an end to months of uncertainty, at least in the short term, “the importance of the US market for the German automotive sector is significant, and therefore, the negotiated tariffs of 15% are painful”, said Wölfl.
