In April 2025, incoming orders in North Rhine-Westphalia’s mechanical and plant engineering sector were 15% below the previous year’s result.
Domestic demand was down 9% and incoming orders from abroad were down 18%. The EURO countries contributed to this result with a drop of 3% and the non-EURO region with a drop of 24%.
In the more meaningful three-month period from February to April 2025, incoming orders fell by 9% compared to 2024. Domestic orders rose by 18%, while 18% fewer orders were generated from abroad. Demand from the eurozone exceeded the previous year’s level by 16%, while incoming orders from non-European countries fell by 30%.
The significant drop in orders compared to April last year comes as no surprise, as the same month in 2024 was the second strongest month in the whole of last year. Above all, the US customs policy is causing uncertainty and a reluctance to invest, which is clearly reflected in the figures for the non-EURO region.