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The United States are and will remain a key market for the German and European machinery and equipment manufacturing industry as the largest export region and investment location outside of Europe. But with the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, the world of trade has changed fundamentally. Disruption is his leitmotif, tariffs are his favourite tool - even against previously friendly countries. Added to this is an erratic policy that can take a new direction every day.
Navigating this uncertain environment is difficult for all trading partners and all companies. What tariffs are already in place and what might lie ahead for the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry? How can companies respond? The VDMA provides up-to-date assessments and invites you to information events on the new risks in US business - but also on the business opportunities that still exist on the other side of the Atlantic.
Spotlight on US Trade Tariffs
Update USA: new import tariffs and incertainty
The USA's tariff policy is causing great uncertainty in the mechanical and plant engineering sector. Three out of four companies report that the increased global uncertainty following the tariff announcements on April 2 is having a strong or even very strong impact on their own company. These are the results of a recent flash survey by the VDMA. In the latest Update-USA video, Andrew Adair, VDMA USA expert, discusses the survey and announces a webinar on tariffs.
"Update USA" video series
In our "Update USA" video series, we provide regular updates on events and news from the USA that affect the mechanical engineering industry. Check back regularly:
Interested in regular USA updates? To the NL subscription.
The business climate in India and Brazil remains positive. Significant sales growth is once again expected in both countries for the current year.
The United States is the largest export market and the most important location for the German mechanical engineering industry. The chart pack provides information on the structure and development of the machinery market.
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued the final rules that prohibit the sale or import of vehicles equipped with hardware or software associated with Chinese or Russian-controlled entities.
The secure application of the European safety regulations for machines stands in stark contrast to the widespread uncertainty surrounding the corresponding patchwork of American requirements.
The VDMA has published its first quarterly economic report for the US market for plant and machinery.
In many countries, machine production developed better than expected in the first few months of the year.
Federal, state and local governments all compete to collect taxes. Tax returns may have to be filed for all three levels of government. Double or multiple taxation is sometimes unavoidable.
Global machinery turnover is expected to grow by 1% in real terms in 2025 compared with the previous year, with significant differences in regional dynamics.
In 2023, the USA generated a gross domestic product of 27.4 trillion dollars. While the share of manufacturing in the overall economy has declined over the years, the share of mechanical engineering within manufacturing has remained stable.
The USA is the world's largest buyer of machinery and Germany's largest export market. It is also one of the most important supplier countries.
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