Arbeiter in einem Werk stehen für Auftragseingang im Verarbeitenden Gewerbe.

© Monty Rakusen/cultura/Corbis

According to the Federal Statistical Office [1], new manufacturing orders rose by 4.1% between May and June [2]. Demand for capital goods increased by 6.8% and demand for intermediate goods expanded by 1.4%. By contrast, demand for consumer goods fell by 1.1%. Excluding large orders, order activity grew by 1.7%.

In the quarterly comparison, orders increased by 2.8% between Q1 and Q2. Adjusted for large orders, the increase was similar (+2.6%).

This means that, following the decline in May, new orders are again looking up. The development was driven by strong domestic demand (+9.6%), which in turn was characterised by strong growth in the fields of ICT and optics, and of other vehicle construction. The large motor vehicles and parts industry and mechanical engineering also saw an increase in new orders. By contrast, foreign demand rose only at a slow pace of 0.4%. An increase in foreign orders from the eurozone (+1.3%) compensated for a mild reduction in orders from outside the eurozone. Overall, new orders are continuing the upward trend that began at the beginning of the year, with a short pause in May.

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[1] Press release by the Federal Statistical Office of 5 August 2021.
[2] All figures are based on provisional data and have been adjusted for price, calendar day and seasonal factors (X13 JDemetra+ procedure).