German industrial orders fall 3.8% in April, reversing March gain
German industrial orders fell 3.8% in April from the previous month, a sharper decline than expected, the Federal Statistics Office said. The drop reverses a 4.5% rise in March that was driven by pre-orders ahead of the Iran war and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The auto industry was hit hardest, with new orders down 5.3%.
German industrial orders fell 3.8% in April compared with March, seasonally and calendar adjusted, a sharper decline than expected, the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden said.
The drop reverses a 4.5% month-on-month rise in March that was partly driven by pre-orders ahead of the Iran war and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the German Economy Ministry said. The ministry noted that order intake had recovered in the second half of 2025 before the Iran war, with the trend upward until the conflict began, partly due to large orders causing high volatility.
The auto industry was hit hardest, with new orders falling 5.3% month-on-month. Electrical equipment orders dropped 16.3%, and machinery orders fell 7.4%.
Foreign orders fell 4.2% overall, with orders from the euro zone declining 11.1%. Orders from outside the euro zone rose 0.8%. Domestic orders fell 2.9%.