While many branches of industry are suffering from delivery bottlenecks, German furniture manufacturers are doing relatively well. Exports to the most important sales markets increased in the first quarter.
German furniture exports rose significantly in the first quarter despite the war in Ukraine. Overall, the German furniture industry has delivered products worth 2.1 billion euros abroad.
That means an increase of 11.8 percent compared to the previous year, reported the managing director of the furniture associations (VDM/VHK), Jan Kurth, on Tuesday, citing data from the Federal Statistical Office.
“In a difficult market environment, which is characterized by supply bottlenecks, inflationary tendencies and the first effects of the war in Ukraine, “Furniture Made in Germany” has held up well,” said Kurth.
France most important sales market
Significant consequences of the Ukraine war were particularly evident in business with Russia. After a good start to the year, exports to Russia were already severely slowed down in March by minus 37 percent due to the war. In February, 20 percent more furniture was exported to Russia than in the same month last year. However, the share of business in Russia in the total exports of German furniture manufacturers is just under one percent.
In the most important sales market, France, furniture sales climbed by a good 5 percent. In Switzerland there was an increase of around 12 percent. Exports to the Netherlands also grew by 12 percent, while exports to Austria fell slightly.
German furniture manufacturers achieved an above-average increase of around 30 percent in exports to Great Britain, which had been adversely affected in previous years by the uncertainties surrounding Brexit and the pandemic. The German furniture industry recorded an increase of 29 percent in furniture sales to the United States, the most important non-European sales market. Exports to China increased by around 8 percent.
However, German furniture imports grew even more strongly than furniture exports in the first quarter, with an increase of 19.6 percent to 2.9 billion euros.
