German industrial orders soar in August

Orders for German-made goods rose by 4.5% in August, bringing optimism for a robust third-quarter in Europe’s largest economy after the COVID-19 crisis.

The gains were attributed to demand from the Eurozone, according to the Federal Statistics Office on Tuesday, signaling that some companies were gradually recovering from the pandemic.

Orders from abroad gained by 6.5%, propped up by a 14.6% surge in orders from the rest of the Europe. Meanwhile, domestic orders rose by 1.7% on the month.

The German economy had contracted by 9.7% in the second quarter as household spending, company investments, and trade decreased significantly during the height of the pandemic.

However, despite the strong data, a resurgence of COVID-19 cases still left the possibility that activity could slow again.

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier warned on Monday that Germany must avoid another shutdown of industrial activity.

The Ifo Institute for Economic Research expects 6.6% output growth in the third quarter, then a slowing to 2.8% in the fourth quarter.