Every fourth company is affected by the coronavirus

Half of Norwegian companies feared the worst before the weekend that they would soon see the ripple effects of the coronavirus, while one in four companies are already experiencing problems.

This is stated in a survey from Norwegian Industry published in Dagens Næringsliv. 315 companies were asked on Thursday and Friday last week whether they have experienced any noticeable changes or fear as a result of the spread of the coronavirus.

– “The main findings are that a relatively large number of companies are experiencing problems with customers and subcontractors. When we ask about what will happen in the future, they signal even bigger problems,” says Knut Sunde, director of Norsk Industri.

One in ten respondents had already noticed lower demand or cancellations of orders, while one in four had suppliers who had notified delays or cancellations of deliveries. It was also one of four who stated that they had trouble fulfilling contracts or delivering goods because of the coronavirus.

Among those who did not have noticeable challenges so far, over half of those feared the effects within a short time.

Much of the fear is due to trade sanctions to affected countries, such as China.