Commerce Dept. helps U.S. companies access Germany's machinery market

he U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) have established a free service--DIN INFO-POINT--that gives U.S. exporters, including machinery manufacturers, access to DIN product standards affecting their ability to sell in Germany and the European Union (EU) dramatically.

For U.S. exporters, Germany is the largest single market in the 25-country European Union with machinery export sales of $3 billion in 2003. These exports represented 11 percent of the $26.5 billion in U.S. manufactured merchandise exports to Germany in 2003.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce points out that American companies interested in exporting products to Germany should do their homework to make sure they know precisely which standards apply to their products. As the largest market with the most stringent standards in Europe, Germany's existing standards will likely form the basis for eventual European standards. The entire EU market for U.S. exports of machinery products totaled $15 billion in merchandise sales in 2003.

"Without access to accurate information about conventional and new machinery manufacturing standards, American exporters will be at a disadvantage and have a hard time competing in the European market," says George Deeley, Director, Programs & Services, Europe and Eurasia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

DIN has developed thousands of standards covering a range of machinery-related products. These include machine tools, machine tool systems, industrial automation systems, and industrial furnaces.

DIN/EU/International Machinery Standards

The U.S.-based DIN INFO-POINT office can access almost one million German and European standards affecting the ability of American companies to sell in Germany and the European Union. For a nominal fee, hard copies of detailed standards can be purchased.

More information about this service for U.S. machinery exporters is available by contacting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at [email protected], or by calling George Deeley, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 202.463.5774.