Overview

• Real new orders for machinery and plant engineering fell by 6% in April 2025 compared with a year earlier.
• Domestic demand dropped 4% while foreign orders fell 7%, with non-euro area markets seeing a 13% slump.
• Despite the April setback, the sector recorded a modest 1% rise in orders across the first four months of 2025.
• VDMA chief economist Johannes Gernandt attributes the downturn to President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, which have heightened global investment uncertainty.
• The industry body is pressing Berlin to follow through on its commitments to bolster Germany’s competitiveness and mitigate tariff impacts.