Overview

• Destatis reported a 4.3% month‑on‑month decline in the producing sectors for August, with core industry down 5.6% and automotive output plunging 18.5%.
• Statisticians and analysts said concentrated factory holidays and model changeovers explain part of the auto slump, though the broader industrial trend remains weak.
• Industrial orders fell for a fourth month in August, down 0.8% overall and 3.3% excluding large contracts, signaling continued soft demand.
• The government’s new forecast projects just 0.2% growth in 2025 and stronger gains of 1.3% in 2026 and 1.4% in 2027, largely supported by higher state spending.
• VW paused EV production in Zwickau and Dresden this week as Berlin prepares an auto summit, while September saw about 45,500 new BEV registrations for a roughly 19% market share.