Aluminium production in Germany again fell significantly in the second quarter. At the primary aluminium smelters, the production volume fell by almost half, and in the semi-finished products processing sector the decline was in the double-digit percentage range.
"The exodus of industry has already begun and is gathering pace. Industrial value creation and thus prosperity in Germany are at stake. The federal government urgently needs to take countermeasures. It is not about permanent subsidies, but about a bridge. And about more than 60,000 jobs in the aluminium industry. We welcome the Chancellor's announcement that structural measures will reduce energy prices in Germany to a competitive level. But we cannot rely on this alone. Time is pressing and if large parts of the industry are gone, they won't come back. With all the consequences for industrial value creation and the country's independence," emphasises Rob van Gils, President Aluminium Deutschland. "Germany will be the only industrialised country not to grow this year. That should give us all food for thought – fundamentally. The production and investment conditions must be significantly improved. The current weak economy is causing us problems. Demand from important customer sectors such as the construction industry and mechanical engineering continues to decline. And the upswing seems further away than ever. The worry lines are getting deeper."