German manufacturing orders rose sharply in November, posting a 5.6% month-on-month increase after a revised 1.6% gain in October, according to data released on Thursday by Destatis.
The November reading came in well above market expectations. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had anticipated a 0.8% decline, making the strong outcome a notable upside surprise for the industrial sector.
The surge in orders was largely driven by a significant rise in demand for fabricated metal products and other transport equipment, as several large-scale contracts were booked during the month. These major orders provided a substantial boost to overall manufacturing activity.
Even when excluding large-scale orders, underlying demand showed improvement. Total manufacturing orders still increased by 0.7% in November, pointing to broader resilience across Germany’s industrial base.
The encouraging data arrives at a time when uncertainty surrounding tariffs has begun to ease, offering some relief to the German manufacturing sector after a prolonged period of pressure.
