Germany’s finished lubricants demand, including process oils, declined 13% in June, continuing a year-long trend of monthly decreases, although sales of motor oil, compressor oil and transformer oils experienced upticks, according to government agency data released Sept. 22.
The country’s lubricant sales decreased to 46,418 metric tons in July, compared to 53,252 tons in the same month last year, Germany’s Federal Office of Economics and Export Control reported.
The steepest declines occurred in hydraulic oils, machine oils and metalworking fluid categories.
Hydraulic demand fell 54% to 4,030 tons, and consumption of machine oils dropped 43% to 1,219 tons.
Among metalworking oils, demand for water-miscible oils plummeted 55% to 911 tons, non-water miscible oils consumption fell 43% to 711 tons, and anti-corrosion oil demand dropped 36% to 166 tons.
Grease demand declined 18% to 1,952 tons, and sales of greases for cars fell 24% to 464 tons
Gear oils sported smaller decreases of 13% for automatic transmission fluid, 10% for automotive gear oils and 9% for industrial gear oils. Turbine oil demand was flat at 286 tons, down 1%.
Three categories showed substantial growth in July. Compressor oil demand jumped 31% to 1,054 tons, motor oil consumption rose 11% to 17,669 tons and transformer oil sales were up 12% at 1,184 tons.
Process oil consumption increased 1% to 9,049 tons.