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๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ฒ)
๐ฃ๐ ๐:
After a period of contraction, global industrial production showed slight growth in February 2025. This recovery was supported by solid demand, particularly in North and South America and the Asia-Pacific region. However, growth remains fragile due to ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and economic challenges.
The manufacturing PMI for the Eurozone rose to 47.6 in February 2025, an improvement from 46.6 in January. Although this still indicates contraction, it is the least severe decline since early 2023. These figures suggest that the sector may be stabilizing despite persistent challenges, such as the threat of U.S. tariffs on European goods.
What is not yet reflected in these figures, in my opinion, is the renewed focus on European manufacturing, driven by strategic investments in defense and technology (e.g.โReArm Europeโ). As a result, I expect to see a visible positive impact on industrial output as early as this year!
๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ:
The timber market is on the moveโnot due to rising demand, but mainly driven by cost pressures and the availability of labor and logs. The latter issue is only adding further strain on the other factors. The availability of logs is a key reason why some sawmills are partially shutting down or implementing structural reductions in working hours. These developments are leading visibly to price increases, but the exact extent of these increases remains uncertain.
The long-term sustainability of such price rises depends on whether demand keeps up. If we do not see an increase in demand in the second half of the year, it remains to be seen how stable this upward price trend will be. However, if the manufacturing industry receives the expected boost from the recent surge in European investment (in digitalisation, carbon reduction and defence), I foresee a disastrous availability issue in our timber marketโฆ to be continued!