Brussels, 27/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - The euro area industrial new orders index fell by 0.8% in March 2009 compared with February 2009, when it remained unchanged. In the EU27, new orders declined by 0.7% in March 2009, after dropping by 1.2% in February. Excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment, for which changes tend to be more volatile, industrial new orders decreased by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.1% in the EU27. In March 2009 compared with March 2008, industrial new orders decreased by 26.9% in the euro area and by 25.5% in the EU27. Total industry, excluding ships, railway & aerospace equipment 4 dropped by 26.6% in the euro area and by 24.9% in the EU27.
In March 2009 compared with February 2009, new orders for intermediate goods fell by 1.6% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU27, and capital goods dropped by 2.1% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU27. Durable consumer goods decreased by 1.8% and 0.5% respectively, while non-durable consumer goods declined by 2.5% in the euro area, but increased by 0.2% in the EU27.
Total manufacturing working on orders rose in eight member states and fell in thirteen. The highest increases were registered in Denmark (44.0%), Portugal (25.6%) and Hungary (19.9%), and the largest decreases in Lithuania (8.2%), Slovenia (7.6%) and Bulgaria (7.1%).
In March 2009 compared with March 2008, new orders for non-durable consumer goods fell by 3.8% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU27 and durable consumer goods declined by 17.6% and 16.7% respectively. Capital goods decreased by 29.9% in the euro area and by 29.0% in the EU27. Intermediate goods dropped by 30.2% and 28.1% respectively. Total manufacturing working on orders fell in nineteen member states and increased only in Denmark (14.2%) and Portugal (0.3%). The largest falls were registered in Slovenia (43.4%), Bulgaria (42.7%), Spain (34.4%) and Lithuania (34.2%). (A.B./transl.rt)