Annual survey: Intensifying Pressure
Under the difficult circumstances, 2021 went relatively well for much of the industry. What worries everyone, however, is the precarious raw material situation. Hardly anyone expects an end or relief any time soon. The forecasts remain gloomy.
Looking back, most of the entrepreneurs consider the past business year to be satisfactory on the whole. For the January issue, the editors of the European Coatings Journal traditionally survey the companies from Europe and the Middle East and ask them to take stock of the year.
Raw material prices and supply as a challenge
However, what was already apparent at the end of 2020 intensified last year and continues to this day: Supply chain issues. Here there is absolute unanimity among all respondents. It always happens that individual raw materials are not available or are only available at high prices. But the situation in 2021 is unprecedented. Almost all raw materials, but also production materials such as containers, sacks or boxes, were affected by a shortage. In some cases, you simply couldn’t get what you needed. In addition, prices increased drastically. Additional costs in the high double-digit percentage range were not uncommon and were increasingly being recorded. There is no relief in sight for the time being. Some 8 % of the managing directors believe that the situation will improve in the first half of 2022. The majority (54 %) expects an improvement in the second half of 2022. About 38 % do not see the situation easening until 2023.
This year, 27 decision-makers from the paint and coatings industry took part in our Annual Survey. Their statements can be found in the January issue of the European Coatings Journal. This guest article also deals with the worrying topic of raw material prices and availability.
