Hard times send Germany's car export and production juggernaut into reverse

摘要

The far deeper and penetrating winter chill that gripped much of Germany during the otherwise peaceful Christmas to New Year holiday break is echoed to a no lesser extent in the country's automotive industry. While night temperatures in some parts of Germany slumped to rarely witnessed lows, the same can be said for the current mood of shivering auto industry executives The frosty industry mood is caused not so much by the sudden deterioration in domestic sales, but by the no less sudden slump in critical vehicle export orders, which in turn has forced carmakers to throttle back sharply high earlier car production rates at previously buzzing German vehicle plants.