Technical Ceramics and Tableware Industry Successful in the Year 2007

摘要

Current economic forecasts cloud the overall positive development of the German whitewares industry last year. The companies organized in the Association of the German Ceramics Industries enjoyed a generally pleasing development in the year 2007. In the porcelain industry, domestic product sales could be improved for the first time in ten years. Domestic sales rose by 2,2%, exports increased by 8,8%. Overall the 5,7-% sales plus largely offset the poor prior-year earnings. The sector is still bemoaning the rising flood of cheap imports. The continued decline in the specialist retail trade accompanied by the shift towards discount chains is leading to mounting price pressure, further squeezing the market shares of the German manufacturers, a squeeze that already started some years ago. The current steep rise in the cost of living is dampening expectations for the current year. Technical ceramics has been able to sustain its successful development and upped sales by a total of 4%. The domestic and export markets played an almost equal part in this. The positive development over recent years has led to an increase in workforce levels by 1,2%.