VDMA Forecasts Stable 2026 Revenues for German Rubber & Plastics Machinery Sector

The German rubber and plastics machinery industry is anticipating stable revenues in 2026, with modest growth projected for 2027, according to industry association VDMA. This outlook comes despite a challenging global economic climate and a difficult start to 2026, which saw order intake fall by 5% and revenues drop by 3% in the first quarter compared to the previous year. VDMA noted that while global demand for polymers continues to rise, this trend is not translating into increased orders for machinery manufacturers, who are facing mounting pressure from rising costs, shrinking margins, and intensified international competition, particularly from Chinese suppliers. The association expects a stabilization over the course of 2026, with demand from Asia and the Americas anticipated to provide new momentum and offset the weak beginning of the year. Consequently, VDMA forecasts a flat revenue performance for 2026. The industry association also reported that in 2025, total production of rubber & plastics machinery and related equipment declined by 5.6% year-on-year to €11.4 billion, down from €12.1 billion in 2024 and €12.35 billion in 2023. This downturn was primarily driven by core machinery, which saw an 8.2% decrease in production to €8.1 billion. Moulds and dies also experienced a significant drop of 9.7% to €1.7 billion, though output for resin and parts handling equipment saw a strong increase of 14.5% to €1.1 billion. Exports weakened considerably in 2025, falling by 8.1% year-on-year to €5.46 billion. China remained the largest export market, with shipments increasing by 11.7% to €1.24 billion, representing 22.8% of total exports. The US was the second-largest market, despite a 7.6% decrease in exports, totaling €898 million (16.4% share). Significant declines were observed in exports to India (-25.8%), Mexico (-30.7%), and France (-32.1%). Conversely, Italy saw a 26.5% rise in exports to €241 million, and Poland experienced a 19.5% increase to €223 million. Turkey’s imports of German machinery grew by 7.0% to €166 million, and Brazil climbed 19.3% to €112 million. The German domestic market contracted by 6.3% year-on-year to €4.1 billion in 2025. Employment in the sector also continued to fall, with the workforce decreasing to 28,500 in 2025 from 30,000 in 2024 and 30,800 in 2023. VDMA highlighted digitalization, artificial intelligence, and automation as key drivers for future growth, emphasizing the creation of new business models through connectivity and data flows across the value chain.