Orders placed with companies in the German manufacturing sector rose sharply in February on the back of an unusually large number of big-ticket export orders, official data showed on April 4.
The Economy Ministry in Berlin calculated that German manufacturing orders jumped by 3.9% in February from the figure for January, after slipping by 0.3% the previous month.
The ministry attributed the rise to a sharp increase in big-ticket orders from abroad. Export orders were up by 6.8% in February from January, while domestic orders rose by a more modest 0.9% month-on-month.
A sector breakdown showed that orders placed with manufacturers of capital goods shot up by 6.9% on a monthly basis in February. Orders for manufacturing goods were up by 0.7% and orders for semi-finished goods edged up by 0.8%.
Using a two-month comparison to iron out seasonal fluctuations, German manufacturing orders increased by 1.9% in January and February combined from the figure for November and December, the ministry said.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007
