New orders in the mechanical and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia in February 2023 fell 10 percent short of the previous year’s figure.
Orders received by the mechanical and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia in February 2023 fell 10 percent short of the previous year’s result. Demand from the domestic market was down 6 percent and orders received from abroad were down 12 percent. The euro zone contributed to this result with a drop of 3 percent and the non-euro zone with a drop of 16 percent.
In the more meaningful three-month period from December 2022 to February 2023, incoming orders decreased by 17 percent year-on-year. Orders from the domestic market fell by 7 percent and from abroad by 21 percent. Demand from the European region was down 12 percent year-on-year and from non-European countries 25 percent.
In view of the considerable uncertainties, many customers are still holding back on investing in new equipment. Although the supply chains and materials situation have eased slightly in recent weeks, high inflation and uncertainties on the global markets nevertheless represent a major challenge for the mechanical and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia.