However, ferrous and non-ferrous metal foundries show different developments in January, which equalise in total. While the European iron foundries recorded a drop in the assessment of the current business situation at the start of the year, with expectations remaining unchanged, the non-ferrous foundries are more optimistic on both points than in the previous month.
Even if the assessments described vary depending on the material, the overall picture since October has been relatively static. While questions such as the future level of energy prices are currently more important for the foundry industry than ever before, the industry has ultimately come through the winter without suffering existential damage so far. Fears of energy shortages have not materialised. And from today's point of view, the outlook also does not indicate a major collapse.
Although the energy markets have calmed down considerably in the meantime, some foundries in Europe will be confronted with high energy prices with the beginning of the year, because new contracts, which were concluded in the light of the crisis, partly only came into force at the turn of the year. Meanwhile the Business Climate Indicator (BCI) increased in January. The increase of 0.12 points brings the index to 0.69 points. Overall, the assessment of export order-book levels and the production expectations for the months ahead strengthen the BCI in January. On the other side the expectations for selling price levels for the months ahead decreases.
The FISI – European Foundry Industry Sentiment Indicator – is the earliest available composite indicator providing information on the European foundry industry performance. It is published by CAEF the European Foundry Association every month and is based on survey responses of the European foundry industry. The CAEF members are asked to give their assessment of the current business situation in the foundry sector and their expectations for the next six months.
The BCI – Business Climate Indicator – is an indicator published by the European Commission. The BCI evaluates development conditions of the manufacturing sector in the euro area every month and uses five balances of opinion from industry survey: production trends, order books, export order books, stocks and production expectations.
Background information on CAEF:
CAEF is the umbrella organisation of the national European foundry associations. The organisation, founded in 1953, has 22 European member states and works to promote the economical, technical, legal and social interests of the European foundry industry. At the same time, CAEF implements activities which aim at developing national foundry industries and coordinating their shared international interests. The General Secretariat is situated in Düsseldorf since 1997.
CAEF represents 4 400 European foundries. Nearly 260 000 employees are generating a turnover of 39 billion Euro. European foundries are recruiting 20 000 workers and engineers per year. The main customer industries are e.g. the automotive, the general engineering and the building industries as well as the electrical engineering industry. No industrial sector exists without using casted components.
