© Statistisches Bundesamt, VDMA

... of German intralogistics manufacturers fell slightly in 2016. They exported a volume of 13.5 billion euros, 2% less than in 2015. The USA remains the most important trading partner, with goods worth 1,072 million euros. It was followed by France and the UK, while China slipped to 6th place, with exports falling by 28% in 2016. "On the one hand, this is due to the fact that many German manufacturers have their own production facilities in China. On the other hand, we are observing that Chinese manufacturers are serving the domestic market more than in the past," explains Sascha Schmel, Managing Director of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association.