Björn Vrooman Nov 9, 2014:

@Andrew I have no idea why there are so many agreements to an answer that is totally "unrelated" to the question (pardon the pun).

"industriefern" is a play with words, originating from "realitätsfern", which means not paying attention to current regulatory needs in a certain industry - just someone making rules...whether they help the steel industry or not.

Your sentence says:
Because competition is increasing, people in the industry are getting more sensitive to any regulatory framework that is not matching current industry needs/any regulations that are creating market barriers.

The politicians spoken of here do stipulate requirements related to the industry, but the regulations they force upon the market are "out of touch" (as in the second answer) with the market's current development and they will probably only hamper growth.

Michael Martin, MA Nov 7, 2014:

@AndrewH712 Yes, perhaps. This might imply a certain wariness even though that's not explicitly stated. It suggests that corporates are aware they will draw more government scrutiny (and possibly more regulation) in times of heated competition. Governments presume there will be temptations to gain an edge by illicit means. Depending on the importance of an industry for foreign trade, it could also be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with foreign entities.

Dr. Andrew Hudson (asker) Nov 7, 2014:

This is from an article about the future of the steel industry, and "outside industry boundaries" or "outside the industry" seem to be accurate.

philgoddard Nov 7, 2014:

Could we have a bit more context, please? What does it say before and after this?
You say it's not limited to the steel industry, which suggests that Brigitte's suggestion of "the industry" isn't correct. Industrie often means manufacturing.

Dr. Andrew Hudson (asker) Nov 7, 2014:

Michael, would "sensitivity for political conditions" imply a type of wariness, meaning that such political decisions might negatively affect the steel trade? Sensitivity in what sense?