VCI confirms chemical output slowdown for Germany in 2012.(financial news)(Financial report)

Chemical industry output growth in Germany will slow to 1% in 2012 from 4% in 2011, industry association VCI (Frankfurt) says. Growth in sales by Germany's chemical industry will also decelerate sharply to 2% in 2012 from 9% in 2011, VCI says. The slowdown, which had been widely predicted, reflects the impact of the debt crises in the European Union (EU) and U.S., which is increasingly causing uncertainty among consumers and companies, with dampening effects on the chemical business, VCI says. However, VCI does not expect a recession for the chemical industry next year. German chemical firms' expanding share of exports to fast-growing markets in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe …