"The proportion of companies whose operations are affected rose from 60% to 84% within two weeks," VDMA said in a statement, adding that supply chains are particularly disrupted in Italy and Germany.

"However, the situation in China and South Korea seems to be easing slightly. In addition, many engineering companies are reporting a significant increase in orders from their Chinese customers," VDMA added.

(Reporting by Thomas Seythal; Editing by Riham Alkousaa)