German plastics processing industry revenues decline in 2025

The revenues of the German plastics processing industry decreased by a further 1.8% in 2025 compared to the previous year. This is the preliminary figure revealed during the annual press conference of GKV, the industry association for plastics processors in Germany, held in Frankfurt on Ash Wednesday.

In more detail, in 2025, revenues in the German plastics processing industry reached 68.2 billion euros, with an export share of 43%. The number of employees in the sector decreased by 5,600, falling to around 307,000 workers. GKV President Helen Fürst urged the German federal government and the European Commission to implement deep economic and social reforms to contain additional labour costs, reduce bureaucracy both in Germany and the European Union, and to act with greater determination and speed in implementing the necessary reforms.

The association’s president, Helen Fürst, explicitly called on the German federal government not to implement any further EU regulations in Germany until effective bureaucratic streamlining has been carried out, stating that "Germany needs an effective protective barrier against the flood of bureaucracy from Brussels."

The association president also criticised the lack of work ethic and economic competence in politics. "Skepticism, class-warfare rhetoric, envy-driven debates, and a culture of indignation harm social partnership and also obstruct the promised economic transition," said Fürst in her speech. The president of the association called for a greater commitment to work, stating that It is unquestionably time to get down to work.