Demand rises on pick-up in machine oils consumption
Stronger demand pushes Europe's total consumption into positive territory for first time in 2025
Recovery remains fragile, with demand down more than 20% in Jan-August and economic sentiment mixed.
Germany’s lubricant demand rose in August for the first time in thirteen months, adding to early signs of a fragile recovery in Europe’s lube market.
Total domestic lube consumption reached close to 39,000 tonnes in August, up 9% year-on-year, government data showed.
Even with the rise, January-August consumption remained down 24% from 2024, highlighting ongoing pressure on Germany’s industrial and economic activity.
A rebound in machine oils in August offset weaker demand for other lubricants, including engine oils and hydraulic oils.
The data release followed a prolonged delay in Germany’s lube statistics, with the previous figures dating back to December 2024.
The latest data on Europe’s largest lubricants consumer provided much-needed clarity on the state of the regional market.
Germany’s stronger demand helped lift Europe’s overall lube consumption into positive territory for the first time this year.
An extension of the trend could support a more sustained regional recovery, complementing a recent uptick in France’s lube demand in September – the first in four months.
A sustained recovery is far from certain, as Germany’s economic and business sentiment improved in October before weakening in November.
Even with continued growth, Germany and Europe’s lube consumption is likely stabilise at lower levels than in recent years.