German industrial orders post surprise fall in May

German industrial orders posted a surprise fall in May over weak demand in the recession-hit eurozone, dpa cited data released Friday as indicating. Monthly factory order books shrunk by 1.3 per cent in May after contracting by 2.2 per cent in April, the Economics Ministry said. Analysts had expected May orders would rebound by 1.2 per cent. "Industrial orders have been quite volatile in recent months," the ministry said, noting big monthly swings in bulk orders. "The underlining trend of orders remains positive and as a result they help to support the industrial sector." Leading the fall was a 3.9-per-cent slump in orders from Germany's eurozone trading partners. Orders from nations outside the 17-member currency bloc rose by 1.1 per cent. This resulted in a 0.7-per-cent drop in total foreign orders. Domestic orders contracted by 2 per cent.