March 23, 2026 15:50

Plastic production in Germany fell by 4.5% last year, and all the main indicators were negative: turnover dropped by 7.6% to €24.6 billion, orders fell by 6.5%, and exports declined by 5.5%.
As it does every year at this time, Plastics Europe Deutschland, the association of German plastics producers, reviewed the situation yesterday in a press briefing on what is happening to one of the strongest pillars of German manufacturing.

Maximilian Nichterlein, economic spokesperson for PlasticsEurope Deutschland, began with a telling figure: last year, German plastics production was 26.2% lower than in 2021, before the energy crisis that broke out the following year with Russia’s war of aggression. 
“This comparison shows with absolute clarity just how deep the crisis is in which Germany’s energy-intensive plastics production continues to find itself,” he said.

Alongside generally weak demand, production was also affected by customs disputes and growing protectionism.

Although Europe remained the main destination for German exports, despite the decline recorded in 2025, China continued to expand its own capacities and, as a result, bought less raw material from Germany. The hardest blow, however, came from the United States, where exports collapsed by 14.9%. More than the higher costs caused by tariffs, it was above all uncertainty that weighed on companies, Nichterlein stressed.

As for imports, they declined overall, confirming weak domestic demand, but not those from China, which instead rose by 16% following the closure of the US market. More generally, German converters are buying increasing volumes of raw materials from non-EU countries: 29% of fossil-based plastics and 21% of recycled plastics.

The outlook for the German plastics industry remains difficult in 2026 as well. “Global industrial production is still growing, but in Germany and Europe — our main target markets — it is growing at a pace well below the global average,” noted PlasticsEurope Deutschland’s chief economist. “At the same time, new trade conflicts and geopolitical uncertainties could continue to weaken foreign trade.”

“Added to this are Germany’s persistent structural challenges: high energy prices, heavy bureaucratic burdens and a lack of planning certainty, for example in chemical recycling.”

© Polimerica -  Reproduction prohibited, all rights reserved