The Central Association of the German Electrical and Electronics Industry (ZVEI) reported that new orders for the German electrical industry in May 2010 were up 26 percent compared with the previous year. The chief economist of the ZVEI, Dr. Andreas Gontermann, said that the strongest impulses were from foreign trade.

He also added that although domestic orders were up 16 percent compared with the previous year orders from abroad had increased by 38 percent. Between January and May this year the number of new orders had exceeded the previous year’s level by 23 percent. Compared with the previous month the number of orders in May (after adjusting for the season and the difference in working days) was up three percent.