Germany’s chemical industry trade association, the VCI, said that the mood in the nation’s chemical and pharmaceutical industry “cooled noticeably in August because the global economy did not pick up as hoped”. This applies particularly to chemicals. “A weak industrial economy in Europe, the USA and China, as well as a lack of price-competitiveness in Germany, are dampening sales opportunities abroad,” the VCI said.

CEFIC has called on the European Commission and EU Member States to “immediately design and implement closely coordinated pan-European measures to limit the impact of energy prices vis-à-vis competing economies, increase energy supply and incentivise reductions in energy consumption”, both for the upcoming winter and beyond. “Skyrocketing gas and electricity prices vis-à-vis competing economies, the potential risk of gas supply shortages and mandates of electricity consumption reduction are putting hundreds of chemical plants at risk throughout Europe,” the association said.

The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) and the German Chemical Employers' Association (BAVC) have joined forces to “vehemently reject” calls for a three-week shutdown for the chemical-pharmaceutical industry. This has been suggested as part of a nationwide ‘hard lockdown’ to fight the rapid growth in COVID-19 infection.