German chemical industry VCI investment falls third year 2026

VCI President Markus Steilemann says firms are merely restocking against feared Gulf war supply gaps, not truly recovering.

Production fell 3% year over year in the first half of 2026.
Revenue slipped 1% to 106 billion euros over the same six months.
Investment dropped 15% versus 2023, a third consecutive year of decline.

Why it matters: Filling warehouses against a feared war is caution, not the capital spending a recovery requires.

Atom Brief