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The sector benefits from higher machinery investments as the Japanese economic recovery is on track (GDP is expected to grow 1.0% in 2015 and 1.5% in 2016 after a modest contraction in 2014).

In 2015 production is expected to increase at around 2%, the same level as in 2014.

The machinery sector in Brazil is being severely impacted by an economic downturn (Brazilian GDP is expected to contract 1.5% in 2015).

Payments in the Czech machinery sector take around 40 days, with ‘days sales outstanding’ (DSO) for smaller businesses of about 50 days.

Compared to other US industries the rate of insolvencies is low in the machinery sector, and it is expected that business failures will level off or even decrease slightly (by about 1%) in H2 of 2015.

The outlook for the machinery industry is promising, as the Italian economy is expected to grow 0.6% in 2015 and 0.9% in 2016 after two years of contraction.

The machinery sector should benefit from the economic rebound in France, with GDP forecast to grow 1.1% in 2015 (after 0.2% in 2014) and stronger growth in industrial production and exports.

China’s machinery sector has seen high overcapacity: profits of machinery businesses will be squeezed further by fierce competition, as companies have to offer lower prices to keep market shares.

The Swedish machinery sector has seen many positive developments over the past few years and currently benefits from higher global demand.

Hungary has become a key production base for automotive majors such as Audi, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), Suzuki and General Motors.