world news - 01.08.2003
Danish Furniture Makers Report Good Growth.
Germany remains the biggest importer of Danish furniture and, although exports to Germany fell by 0.2%, there were two positive aspects to the trade: firstly, Danish furniture has gained market share, relatively speaking, since the German furniture retail trade, taken as a whole, dipped by 12% in 2002. Secondly, the sector has become far less reliant on the German market than previously. Whereas in 1996 sales to Germany accounted for about half of the total furniture exports, the share today is down to approximately 28%.
The British market remains the brightest field of operation for Danish furniture exporters, with sales across the North Sea in excess of US$300 million in 2002. It is particularly encouraging that this success is distributed across so many different product categories and is thus not dependent on a narrow customer segment.
Despite predictions of economic recession, Danish furniture exports showed growth in 2002. For the year they totalled more than US$1,819 million, increasing by 10% on the previous year. This progress is surprising since, throughout the year, the forecasts had been more pessimistic.
See also:
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