Germany's chemical industry association VCI said on Friday Q1 output, sales and
prices fell and warned rising energy, raw-material and transport costs linked to
Iran-related conflict are continuing to weigh on the sector, making a recovery
in 2026 unlikely. The VCI said overall chemical-sector production, including
pharmaceuticals, fell 6% YoY in Q1; producer prices dropped 1% and sales
declined 5.4% YoY.