Surrounded by the powerful countries of the furniture and woodworking machinery industry, Austria is among the countries that should not be ignored, although it does not have a large share in these sectors. Having very low trade figures with Turkey both in the furniture industry and in the woodworking machinery industry, Austria realized AİM imports of approximately 270 million dollars at the end of 2022. Turkey’s share was limited to 1 million dollars.
Landlocked in Central Europe, Austria borders Liechtenstein and Switzerland to the west, Italy and Slovenia to the south, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, and Germany and the Czech Republic to the north. A democratic federal republic, Austria consists of nine states: Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna. The country, which has an area of 83 thousand 879 square kilometers, has a population of approximately nine million. Although there are few arable lands in the country, whose economy is based on industry and tourism, After World War II, modern agriculture developed rapidly. Animal husbandry is carried out in grassland areas in the lowlands of the country. Pig iron, crude steel and aluminum production are at the forefront in the industry branch, which constitutes the main source of its economy. Paper, chemicals and plastics are among other industrial products.
Austria’s largest oil refinery in Schwechat, the world’s leading producer of natural magnesite, meets three-quarters of the country’s total consumption of petroleum and petroleum products. Only part of the timber from its vast forests is processed in the country, and raw timber is among the country’s main exports. Austria’s important export products; machinery, electronic devices, mineral products, paper, electrical power, and foodstuffs.
According to World Furniture Outlook data prepared by Center of Industrial Studies (CSIL) for EUMABOIS; At the end of 2022, Austria ranks 30th with 2.3 billion dollars of furniture production, 26th with 1.3 billion dollars of exports, 15th with 2.5 billion dollars of imports, and 3.6 billion dollars of domestic It ranked 19th in sales. The country, which imported approximately 2.4 billion dollars of furniture at the end of 2021, produced 2 billion dollars in 2020, 2.1 billion dollars in 2019, and 2.3 billion dollars in 2018. From 2013 to 2022, which is the subject of the report, it was seen that Austria produced an average of 2 billion dollars of furniture annually.
AUSTRIA’S MOST IMPORTANT TRADING PARTNER IS ITS NEIGHBOR GERMANY
Looking at the data on furniture exports, it was seen that the country, which made an export of 1.3 billion dollars in 2022, achieved an export of 1.3 billion dollars at the end of 2021 and about 1.2 billion dollars in 2020. The country to which Austria exports the most in 2022 was its neighbor Germany with a rate of 42.2 percent. Another neighbor of Germany is Switzerland with 11.6 percent, Poland with 5.1 percent, Italy with 3.9 percent, Slovakia with 3.4 percent, France with 3 percent, Hungary with 2.9 percent and 2.5 percent. The United States followed with 2.4 percent, Slovenia and the Czech Republic with 2.2 percent. Austria’s annual furniture imports and exports have followed a stable course since 2013. It was noted that Austria, which imported approximately 2.6 billion dollars in 2022, realized furniture imports of 2.7 billion dollars in 2021, 2.3 billion dollars in 2020, and 2.6 billion dollars in 2019. The country that Austria imported the most furniture in 2022 was again Germany. Austria realized almost half of all furniture imports from Germany in 2022. The second important import market was Poland with 10.2 percent. The difference between the first and second rank countries once again revealed that Germany is a very important partner for Austria. After Poland, China with 7.6 percent, Italy with 7.5 percent, Czech Republic with 2.7 percent, Slovakia with 2.6 percent and Slovenia followed with 1.8 percent . When both import and export data are analyzed, it is seen that Turkey’s furniture trade with Austria has not developed.
IT IS PREDICTED THAT THERE WILL BE A CONTRACTİON IN DOMESTIC FURNITURE SALES
According to the CSIL Report; Realizing domestic furniture sales of 3.6 billion dollars in 2022, 3.8 billion dollars in 2021 and 3 billion dollars in 2020, Austria’s domestic furniture sales decreased by 3 percent at the end of 2023, and by 1 percent at the end of 2024. It is expected to grow by .
THE MOST PRODUCTION WAS MADE IN THE FURNITURE IN THE OTHERS GROUP
When furniture production segments are examined; At the end of 2022, it was seen that Austria produced the most furniture, which is in the group of others, with a share of 64 percent. In addition, 18 percent of the total furniture production consisted of kitchen furniture, 12 percent of office furniture and 6 percent of armchairs, sofas and chairs.
NO EXPORTS COULD BE MADE IN FOUR PRODUCT GROUPS
At the end of 2022, Turkey’s AİM exports to Austria, which imports about 270 million dollars of woodworking machinery, remain at very low levels. No sales were made in four product groups to Austria, where we exported only 1.2 million dollars of woodworking machinery in 2022. At the end of last year, Turkey exported the machines in the group of others with 969 thousand dollars to Austria. Among these processes, there were no exports of machines that perform various machine operations without changing tools, machining centers, bending or joining machines, and splitting, slitting or peeling machines.
IMPORTED THE MOST PLANING, MILLING OR CUTTING MOLDING MACHINES
Austria, which imported the most planing, milling or cutting molding machines with approximately 70 million dollars in 2022, was the second product group from which Austria imported the most, sawing machines with 60 million dollars. Sawing machines respectively followed machines that perform various machine operations without changing tools among these operations, machining centers, machines in the others group, drilling or tenoning machines.