In the first nine months, German manufacturers’ exports of living room, dining room and bedroom furniture decreased by 3.2% compared to the corresponding period in the preceding year to €788.5m. Exports to Austria declined at a double-digit rate (-13.4% to €132.9m). The declines in deliveries to France (-3.3% to €81.3m) and the Netherlands (-9.3% to €69.1m) were less significant. Exports to Switzerland (+1.5% to €160.5m), on the other hand, still increased slightly, according to data prepared by the association of the German living-room industry. An increase was also recorded in exports to Great Britain (+3.0% to €5.2m). Exports to the USA even rose at a double-digit rate, up 17.7% to €46.6m (39.6m).
Imports fell by 2.9% compared to the previous year to €1.425bn per end of September. Whilst imports from Turkey rose by more than one-third to €55.8m, imports from Romania (-19.8% to € 38.7m) and Austria (-12.5% to €38.3m) declined. At €504.8m, imports from Poland - by far the most important supplier country - fell just short of the previous year’s figure. Imports from China still increased by 5% to €171.3m.
