43-44/2021
Dear readers,
When will business be on a roll again? A dearth of drivers and semi-conductors has grave ramifications for the automobile industry and its supply chains, a fact that has reached the mainstream media too. But did you know that the scarcity of a soft raw material has major consequences on the roads? I’m talking about caoutchouc here, which is very important for tyre production.
According to Germany’s federal statistical office the import price of natural caoutchouc in Germany was almost 42% higher in August 2021 than in the same month last year. The price of synthetic caoutchouc even rose by approximately 47% in the same period. The statisticians set the industry’s mind at ease by adding that it hadn’t observed any effects of the increased import price on manufacturer or consumer prices yet. The manufacturer are hardly in a position to increase prices anyway; they produced less tyres in Germany last year than for a long time. The 36.3 million units made meant 26% less tyres were manufactured than in 2019, and it even represented a 40% decline vis-à-vis 2015. Sales fell by 19% to EUR 4.9 billion, and by almost 27% vis-à-vis 2015.
It’s the world’s freight forwarders who organise the transport of raw materials and finished products. We heard what it takes for them to be on a roll from their global trade association Fiata (from page 27 onwards).
Come on a trip with us!
Andreas Haug
Editor
