The German parquet industry is facing new challenges, also with regard to international trade. According to the Association of the German Parquet Industry (vdp), the turnover of member companies in Germany rose by 6 percent to 274.4 million euros in 2022, partly due to price increases in the supply chain. However, parquet sales fell by 11.7 percent to 7.7 million square meters.
"After the lively renovation activities of people in Germany during the pandemic, the situation has changed dramatically since the start of the war in Ukraine. In the wake of the downturn in the construction industry, our sector is increasingly feeling the headwind," comments vdp Chairman Michael Schmid. In addition, pressure from imports has increased. Parquet imports from the Far East in particular have increased significantly. Germany's imports of multilayer parquet from China rose to 9.2 million square meters in 2022, an increase of around 30 percent compared to the previous year. In contrast, German exports fell by around 3% to 10.1 million square meters of parquet. Over 40 percent of German parquet exports went to the neighboring countries of Austria, Switzerland and France.
In view of the situation, the vdp warns against imbalances in international competition. "The advantages of parquet as a natural product come into their own with wood from Europe. Consumers should ask for domestic goods from our countries when buying," says Michael Schmid.
Source: moebelindustrie.de
© Fotolia
