German paint and ink manufacturers saw sales drop by 1.47 million tons in 2023, a decrease of 3% over the previous year, according to the Association of the German Paint and Printing Ink Industry (VdL) on Monday. The industry group said the drop in sales volume was primarily driven by the downturn in Germany’s construction industry, which has struggled with rising costs and high interest rates. Nonetheless, turnover rose by just under 2% to €6.1 billion ($6.6 billion) as a result of higher prices amid inflation, said VdL leader Peter Jansen. In addition to the weak domestic market, a significa…