The European Agricultural Machinery Association’s (CEMA) report for January 2025 shows that the general business climate index for the agricultural machinery industry in Europe has risen further but continues in negative territory. In January, the index increased from -37 points to -31 points (on a scale of -100 to +100).

Less negative total turnover expectations (mainly driven by positive expectations for transportation and livestock equipment) are once again the main reason for the improvements in the general business climate, while total current business evaluations have improved only slightly and are basically continuing close to record low levels.

A further and significant improvement can especially be seen in expectations for the coming order intake (an indicator that is not included in the calculation of the overall barometer index): For the first time since 2022, a majority of survey participants expect incoming orders to rise in the coming six months (based on a low order volume).

With a view to the market side, the confidence index for almost all European markets has improved, with some countries back in or close to positive territory for the first time since the start of the recession period. While the direct customers of the manufacturers ,i.e. the dealers, have still not been able to pass on all orders to the end customers and the dealer stocks continue with above-average levels in almost all European markets, a considerable improvement can be seen compared to previous months.