As in the first half, the purchase of raw materials and intermediate products is a serious problem for the German industry in the second half. In a survey conducted in July, 73.3 percent of companies complained about raw material shortages, the Munich-based ifo Institute for Economic Research said on Monday, August 1.

That number was even higher during the June survey – 74.1%. According to Klaus Wohlrabe, head of research at ifo, in addition to the long shortage of electronic components, problems in global logistics, especially in transport, continue to play a large role.

Material shortages in major industries

At the same time, ifo pointed to the critical situation in key sectors of German industry. In the electrical, engineering and automotive industries, around 90% of companies reported shortages of various essential materials. There are also no signs of a possible significant improvement in the supply of raw materials and semi-finished products in the near future, Wolrabe noted.

Raw material shortages intensified in beverage companies. 70.5 percent of industry respondents reported missing components, up from 47.9 percent in June. Meanwhile, the situation in the apparel industry has improved a little: in July, 64.1% of the companies surveyed announced a lack of intermediate products, in June there were 81.7%.