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Darmstadt Chamber of Industry and Commerce: Companies see no relief – investments in the USA are stagnating
Darmstadt/Southern Hesse. The preliminary agreement in the trade dispute between the EU and the USA offers little relief for export-oriented companies in southern Hesse – on the contrary: many businesses find themselves under even greater pressure due to new burdens. This is shown by a flash survey conducted by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), in which nearly 100 companies from the Darmstadt Rhine-Main-Neckar Chamber of Industry and Commerce district participated.
Despite the intentions of the EU and the US to mitigate trade conflicts, only five percent of the surveyed companies in southern Hesse expect positive effects. The assessment is particularly critical among companies with direct US business: around 74 percent of them anticipate additional burdens – for example, due to planned tariff increases to 15 percent.
Axel Scheer, foreign trade expert at the Darmstadt Chamber of Industry and Commerce, warns: "The additional tariffs are already significantly impacting US business. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Our member companies are experiencing growing uncertainty."
The USA is the most important export market for southern Hesse
The United States is the most important export market for companies in southern Hesse. With an export volume of €9.3 billion in 2024, it accounts for approximately 11.7 percent of all Hessian exports – primarily chemical and pharmaceutical products as well as machinery. These exports are now coming under increasing pressure.
Already, 40 percent of the surveyed companies are reporting a decline in their US business. The way companies are passing on the tariffs to their customers varies: over half are raising their prices, a quarter are absorbing the additional costs themselves, and another 25 percent are sharing the extra costs with business partners.
Investments are being postponed or cancelled
In addition to declining sales, the chambers of commerce are also observing a reluctance to invest: 26 percent of companies are reducing their US investments or putting projects on hold. 54 percent are considering withdrawing from the US market – partly in favor of the EU single market (41 percent) or other international markets.
The background to this is the increasing unpredictability of trade policy – for example, announcements by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that he intends to impose tariffs of up to 250 percent on pharmaceutical products. "Such statements are causing massive uncertainty for companies," explains Scheer. "That's not what planning security looks like."
DIHK: The economy needs stability in the transatlantic relationship
DIHK Managing Director Helena Melnikov emphasizes: “The US market remains important, but symbolic politics at the expense of companies jeopardizes economic confidence.” She calls for a more stable orientation of transatlantic relations – with clear rules and long-term predictability.
Further information about the survey and foreign trade can be found at:
www.darmstadt.ihk.de
(DARMSTADT – RED/IHK)
