BERLIN (AP) — German factory orders edged up unexpectedly in September, pushed higher by demand from inside the country and elsewhere in the 19-nation eurozone.
The Economy Ministry said Tuesday that orders were up 0.3 percent compared with the previous month, following a 2.5 percent rise in August. Economists had expected a 0.5 percent decline.
The ministry said there was an above-average number of large orders. While orders from inside Germany were up 2.8 percent and demand from other eurozone countries rose 2.4 percent, there was a 3.7 percent drop in orders from other foreign trading partners.
Factory orders are an important indicator for the German economy, Europe's biggest, which so far has remained robust despite high global trade tensions. For the whole third quarter, orders were down 1 percent.
