During the global economic crisis, the decline in production of printing and paper-handling machines was small and could be more than offset by 2011. However, growth from the crisis low did not continue. Instead, there was a three-year decline in production of more than 25%. It was not until early 2015 that production began to grow again and then so strongly that it exceeded production growth in the German mechanical engineering by 11% between 2014 and 2017.

Since 2011, production of printing and paper machines has not been able to exceed its pre-crisis level and, like production in mechanical engineering, thus remained below its pre-crisis level by 2017.

In comparison of sales with mechanical engineering, the printing and paper machinery sector shows a picture similar to that of its production. Using data from the Federal Statistical Office, the Quest industry report outlines that the sector sales grew by 10% more strongly than those of the machinery industry in the period from 2014 to 2017.

Sales of printing and paper-handling machines slumped significantly in 2017 and are therefore back at pre-crisis levels, while sales in mechanical engineering are 9% higher.

The source of the stronger sales growth lies in foreign sales. Between 2014 and 2017, foreign sales of printing and paper machines grew 8% faster than those of mechanical engineering and in 2017 were 7% above their pre-crisis level.

Domestic sales of printing and paper machines as well as those of mechanical engineering in 2017 remained well below their pre-crisis levels by 2017.

The Quest industry report is available on https://www.quest-trendmagazine.com/en/machinery-industry/print-and-paper-machines/production-and-sales-of-printing-and-paper-machines.html