Political efforts to encourage companies to engage in a so-called de-risking with regard to Chinese suppliers have so far met with little success. Based on interviews with business associations and companies, this study examines possible reasons for the lack of de-risking, particularly among Mittelstand companies. It shows that these companies are well aware of the risks of dependency, but that measures to reduce their dependency are failing due to specific obstacles (e.g., regulatory hurdles, costs).
IfM-Materialien | 2026 The dependence of the German Mittelstand on supplies from China
Holz, M.; Kranzusch, P.; Pahnke, A.; Rieger-Fels, M.; Suprinovič, O.; Wolter, H.-J. (2026): Abhängigkeit des Mittelstands von Zulieferungen aus China, in IfM Bonn: IfM Materialien Nr. 314, Bonn.