German Carmakers Gloomy on Middle East Disruption, Survey Shows

German automaker sentiment slumped in April as a shortage of critical inputs such as helium began to bite, underscoring how disruption triggered by the Middle East conflict is reverberating through Europe’s supply chains.

A gauge of business expectations plunged to minus 30.7 from minus 15.3 in March, according to a monthly survey of carmakers by the Munich-based Ifo Institute.