Manufacturers expect slight fall in investment

• Metal and electrical engineering expects smallest rise
• Petroleum companies expect investment to rise

According to figures from Statistics Netherlands, manufacturing companies in the Netherlands expect to invest 2 percent less in 2010 than in 2009. This is apparent from the results of a survey held by Statistics Netherlands in February.

Nearly alls sectors of manufacturing expect investment spending to be lower in 2010. Companies in the metal and electrical engineering sector are most pessimistic. They foresee a 13 percent drop in investment spending. This does make them less negative than in the autumn of 2009, however; then they expected to invest 22 percent less in 2010. The metal and electrical engineering sector accounts for the largest amount of investment, nearly 2.4 billion euro in 2008.

Companies in the chemical industry, too, were less pessimistic than in the autumn of 2009. Then they expected to invest 16 percent less, now they foresee a fall of 1 percent.

Manufacturers of food, drink and tobacco have become more negative on the other hand. They expect to invest 2 percent less than last year. In the autumn of 2009 they still anticipated a 12 percent rise in 2010.
Companies in the petroleum industry are the most optimistic. They expect to invest 38 percent more this year than last year.