Industry index documents the strain caused by uncertainties

Above all, global uncertainties, rising production and procurement costs, as well as tariffs and trade restrictions, are placing increasing pressure on companies operating in the sectors relevant to the Ambiente, Christmasworld and Creativeworld trade fairs. This is shown by the second wave of the survey conducted by IFH Köln and Messe Frankfurt for their industry index. However, the global business climate has hardly changed overall compared with the first wave of the survey and remains at a subdued level.

The Global Industry Index is designed to serve as an international barometer of sentiment and trends, highlighting developments in the trade fair-relevant segments at an early stage. For the second survey round, a total of 667 representatives from industry, retail and the service sector worldwide were surveyed in June and July 2026.

With an index value of 100.4, up from 100.1 in the first survey round, the global business climate remains virtually unchanged and, on the whole, subdued. The manufacturing sector appears slightly more confident than the retail and services sectors. “The economy is currently less in a phase of recovery than under pressure to reorient itself. Whilst sentiment is stabilising in some areas, the pressures are shifting from weak demand towards geopolitical uncertainties, rising costs and trade barriers,” said Dr Ralf Deckers, Head of Strategic Insights & Analytics at IFH Cologne.