German industrial orders drop in March

German industrial orders, a key measure of demand for German-made goods both at home and abroad, fell in March, weighed down by falling eurozone orders, data showed on Wednesday. Industrial orders were down 2.8 per cent in March compared with the level the previous month, the economy ministry said in a statement. In February, factory orders had increased by 0.9 per cent. The ministry said that domestic orders slipped by 0.6 per cent and export orders were down by as much as 4.6 per cent. Orders from the eurozone nose-dived by 9.4 per cent. By sector, orders for semi-finished goods fell by 1.2 per cent and orders for capital goods dropped by 3.6 per cent, while orders for consumer goods tumbled by 5.3 per cent, according to a news agency.