German Rubber Industry Reports Continuing Decline in Production

The German rubber industry is facing a severe decline, with production, employment, and sales all falling in the first half of 2026, according to the WDK. The industry association has called on the government to implement reforms to strengthen the country’s industrial competitiveness, including measures to reduce energy costs and bureaucracy and strengthen domestic markets. The warning came as German rubber industry production fell 5.4% year-on-year to 530,000 tonnes, while employment declined 5.0% to 57,200. Industry sales fell 4.1% to €5.20 billion, with domestic sales down 4.7% year-on-year and foreign sales down 3.2%. Within the tire sector, production fell 9.1% to 200,000 tonnes, while the manufacture of technical elastomer products declined 2.9% to 330,000 tonnes. Tire sales for the first six months of the year dropped 7.9% year-on-year to €1.76 billion, with domestic sales down 7.1% to €1.30 billion and foreign sales down 9.8% to €460 million. Sales of general rubber goods fell 2.0% to €3.44 billion. WDK president Michael Klein warned that the decline posed a risk to Germany and Europe’s ability to maintain domestic production in strategically important areas, citing ‘internationally non-competitive energy costs’, excessive bureaucracy, and growing competition from outside Europe. Klein called for the immediate suspension or abolition of reporting requirements, measures to reduce energy costs, and steps to strengthen domestic markets. WDK chief economist Michael Berthel noted that the industry’s latest figures confirmed the downward trend, warning that ‘almost all indicators are in the red’ and that the industry has no future in Germany without a level playing field in international competition.