German engineers expect low growth in 2017, with an uncertain outlook for exports to the United States and China offsetting a recovery in exports to other markets such as Russia and India.
They warned it was unclear what path the United States, German engineers’ biggest export market, would take after Donald Trump becomes president in January.
In China, meanwhile, there are still many risks such as overcapacity and high debt levels. A continued decline in exports to the world’s second-biggest economy cannot be ruled out.
In the first nine months of 2016, the value of exports to the United States eased by 2.4 percent to 12.2 billion euros ($12.9 billion), while those to China dropped 11.5 percent to 10.6 billion.
Exports to Russia could return to slight growth in 2017.