	mannesmann sees difficult year for capital goods mannesmann ag mmwg f expects a difficult year for the capital goods industry in chief executive werner dieter told a news conference dieter said west german producers would see a downturn in foreign business because of lower energy prices and the higher mark as well as a deterioration of the economies of customer nations domestic business was also declining and orders for west german engineering goods have been falling since july dieter said mannesmann s profit fell by an undisclosed amount in dieter said mannesmann s pipe activities would suffer a set back although measures to cut costs which were started last year were now having an effect dieter noted however that pipes and related products accounted for less than pct of mannesmann s turnover the company saw good chances in the automation sector which dieter said had become one of mannesmann s strategic aims he said the company s drive to combine activities in mechanical and electronic engineering was a particular plus point for mannesmann mannesmann which yesterday announced it had agreed to take a majority stake in the fichtel und sachs ag car parts group for an undisclosed sum saw third party group turnover fall nine pct in to billion marks its world group net profit in was mln marks it has blamed the fall in profits on the weaker dollar and lack of demand for steel pipe dieter said there were signs that prices for steel pipe were bottoming out and would slowly start to rise but he added the company would continue to cut personnel in this sector this year reuter 
