LR Danninger: Export is and will continue to be an important economic engine and is essential for the creation of value, jobs and prosperity in our country.
St.Pölten (OTS) – “Lower Austria is an exporting country:
Every second euro is earned in exports. Every fifth job depends directly or indirectly on exports. The post-pandemic years 2021 and 2022 impressively show that Lower Austria’s (export) economy is very resilient and competitive. The comparison of federal states also confirms the best result in the first half of 2022: Lower Austria overtakes Styria and is now back in second place in the ranking of federal states. However, the export year 2023 will not be easy due to the energy crisis. However, I am convinced that our exporting companies will be able to sell their products abroad on competitive terms with the help of the announced energy cost subsidy and that the export engine will not stutter”, explains Jochen Danninger, State Councilor for Economic Affairs.
The top 10 export markets are developing very well and showing high growth rates. Germany is and remains – by far – Lower Austria’s most important trading partner. Hungary has been the second most important export destination for many years – in the first half of 2022 alone, exports increased by more than 34%. Italy is in third place. For the first time, the US can take fourth place. On the part of the State of Lower Austria and ecoplus International, in close cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Lower Austria and the Federation of Industry of Lower Austria, priority topics such as green technology and focus countries for the coming years were defined. In northern Germany, in particular, there is still untapped export potential. Priorities are defined in Nordic countries such as Sweden, but also in France.
“In times of global uncertainty, Lower Austrian exporters are increasingly focusing on export markets in Europe, especially the EU or Eastern and South Eastern Europe. The EU’s development package for Europe also offers domestic companies a huge opportunity in the EU’s internal market. The Foreign Trade Chamber of Commerce plays an important role in this, as for many it is both a door opener and a gas station. With our more than 100 bases in more than 70 countries, as well as its foreign trade departments in the regional chambers, the Chamber of Commerce has a globally active network to support domestic exporters”, explains the president of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Wolfgang Ecker.
“I am pleased that Lower Austria’s industry had a good first half of 2022. Together with our partners from the Lower Austrian State and the Chamber of Commerce, we were able to take effective measures so that our companies could work and export successfully. than half of Lower Austria’s industry turnover is generated abroad, many production companies even have export quotas of more than 90 percent,” emphasizes IV-NÖ President Thomas Salzer. At the same time, given the worsening current situation, he said: “We need to continue to make intense efforts because we face very big challenges. The expansion of the energy cost subsidy, for example, is an important measure to ensure that our operations remain internationally competitive.”
More information: Markus Steinmassl, ecoplus, +43 2742 9000-19619, [email protected]; Andreas Csar, office LR Jochen Danninger, +43 2742 9005-12253, [email protected]; Bernhard Tröstl, Economic Chamber of Lower Austria, +43 2742 851 14100, [email protected]; Dorit Ausserer, Federation of Lower Austrian Industry, +43 664 813 49 20, [email protected];
Questions and contact:
Lower Austria provincial government office
Directorate of the State Office/Public Relations
Doris Zoeger
02742/9005-13314
[email protected]
www.noe.gv.at/presse