FRANKFURT, Oct 7 (NNN-XINHUA) – European corporations have been forced to reduce or halt production and shift investments to the U.S. to reduce costs, amid soaring energy prices.
Many industry observers warned that, a prolonged energy crunch could erode Europe’s industrial structure for good, and the shutdown and exodus of European companies have sparked a deeper concern over the risk of deindustrialisation on the continent.
The stubbornly high energy prices have already taken a toll on European companies. Dutch aluminum maker, Aldel, said, it is halting primary aluminum production because of surging electricity prices. Dutch fertiliser producer, Yara Sluiskil, has shut its fertiliser plant.
Netherlands-headquartered Rabobank, said that, more energy-intensive companies, such as those in the chemical, paper, metalwork, rubber and plastic industries, will be forced to reduce or halt their production in the future.
Nicolas de Warren, president of Uniden, the federation of energy-intensive industries in France, said that, due to energy price spikes, energy-intensive companies in France are not capable of producing products with competitive prices.
European non-ferrous metals association, Eurometaux, said, 50 percent of the EU’s aluminum and zinc capacity has already been forced offline, due to the power crisis, with significant curtailments in silicon and ferroalloys production, and further impacts felt across the copper and nickel sectors.
Meanwhile, investment outflows from Europe to the U. S. are rising, due to high energy prices.
German media reports showed that, German flag carrier, Lufthansa, multinational conglomerate corporation, Siemens, supermarket brand, Aldi and health care company, Fresenius, four out of the more than 60 German companies in Oklahoma, have jointly added 300 million U.S. dollars of investment in the U.S.
German auto industry also increased investment in the U.S. Volkswagen, in June, laid the foundation for a new battery laboratory in Tennessee and committed 7.1 billion dollars in partnerships in America, through 2027. Mercedes-Benz and BMW made similar investments.
German pharmaceutical giant, Bayer, put 100 million usd, into a biological technology centre in Boston. Chemical group, Evonik Industries, has set up an innovation centre in Pennsylvania and has committed over 200 million dollars to a production base in Indiana. Chemical heavyweight, BASF, has announced, it will invest around 3.9 billion dollars in North America, through 2026.
The number of German companies planning to expand business in Virginia has grown from two in 2021, to six this year, said the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
Such a change in the scale of investment flows from Europe to the U.S. is partly the result of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes, that led to a widening interest rate gap between the United States and Europe, according to John Bryson, professor at the University of Birmingham.
Oliver Falck, director of the ifo Centre for Industrial Organisation and New Technologies in Germany, said, if energy prices remain high, some industries will leave Germany forever.
Other German business insiders worry that the country could lose its competitive edge in manufacturing, slamming Europe’s largest economy. Europe could see its metal, chemical, glass, ceramic and paper industries collapse over time, de Warren warned.
“We are deeply concerned that the winter ahead could deliver a decisive blow to many of our operations, and we call on EU and member state leaders, to take emergency action, to preserve their strategic electricity-intensive industries and prevent permanent job losses,” said Eurometaux, warning of an “existential threat” to energy-intensive companies.– NNN-XINHUA
