Bloomberg reported a decrease in the competitiveness of German production

The competitiveness of German industry has declined to its lowest level since the start of the study in 2024 amid increasing competition from global rivals. This was reported by Bloomberg on September 29.

"The pace of change caused by competition from China is so high and rapid that some European leaders did not expect such an impact as early as 2026 or 2027," the article says.

The German industrial competitiveness index, calculated by Alvarez & Marsal and the German Society for Management Research, dropped to 3 points from 11 in 2025 and 21 in 2024. The company cited regulation and bureaucracy, as well as high energy prices, as the most serious problems.

The study is based on almost 250 interviews with company executives conducted from May to August. About 56% of the surveyed enterprises have fully or partially moved production abroad, and 45% have transferred research and development there. At the same time, about 80% of companies consider speed to be an important factor in competition. The automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical, and mechanical engineering industries are experiencing the most notable problems.

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On September 21, employees of the automotive industry protested at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Berlin with slogans like "The future instead of cuts." The protesters demand to save jobs amid the crisis in the industry. In total, about 175 thousand workers took part in protests throughout Germany. The protest campaign focuses on the future of Volkswagen and Audi plants, BMW's plans to cut up to 8,000 jobs, and Mercedes' demand to switch to a 40—hour week without additional pay.