The industry has managed to stop its downward trend in the past month, marking a significanthalt to the negative development observed in 2023. The Index has stabilized just above the 90-point mark. Despite facing intense competition and operating in a challenging and pressurized industry environment, it is noteworthy that the sector is demonstrating resilience and holding up admirably well.
European Foundries are worried about how well they can compete internationally, especially with all the uncertainty about getting the materials they need. The anticipation of rising carbon border prices, the critical raw material act (CRMA), and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are casting a shadow over the upcoming year.
Meanwhile the Business Climate Indicator (BCI) stands at -0.39 index points in November. This marks the fifth consecutive time that the BCI is below the critical threshold of 0 index points. The index decreased once again by 0.06 points from -0.33. This month the negative BCI can be attributed this month especially to the situation of the assessment of export orderbook levels has worsened. The ongoing geopolitical tensions in both the Near East and Ukraine are playing a pivotal role in propelling this development.
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.
