Commentary

“Made in Lower Austria” is in demand worldwide

President of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce Wolfgang Ecker

(Bild: Rita Newman)

Around 10,000 exporting companies with goods exports worth 30 billion euros. Impressive figures for Lower Austria's exports, which are a key success factor for our business location. In other words: every second euro in Lower Austria is generated through exports. Every fifth job depends directly or indirectly on exports. Lower Austria in particular has benefited greatly from the accession of Central and Eastern European countries to the EU. Five of the ten most important export countries were behind the "Iron Curtain". The USA is the most important long-distance market.

In order for our companies to continue to be so successful, we need the right framework conditions. We need less bureaucracy and lower non-wage labor costs. So that we remain competitive. But competition must also be fair! Just a few days ago, the EU launched proceedings against the Chinese wholesaler Temu. There are major concerns here - from problems with customs controls to compliance with European and national regulations or a lack of product safety. In short: "Made in Lower Austria" creates jobs and contributes to economic success. To keep it that way, we need more relief and more equal opportunities.