German plant and equipment makers' orders fell in September, after a one-off rise in August, the VDMA association said on Thursday, as a double-digit fall in domestic contracts were cushioned by those from abroad remaining stable.
Overall, orders were down 4% in real terms on the year in September, following a 7% rise in August.
Domestic orders last month tumbled 16% while foreign contracts remained stable thanks to the help of large-scale plant business.
The industry's economic weakness was more pronounced in the nine-month figures, which showed orders from January to September down 8% compared with the same period last year.
In the less-volatile three-month period from July to September, orders were 1% lower overall, with a 9% fall in domestic contracts and 2% increase in those from abroad.
"The weak domestic demand is not surprising, companies are very unsettled. There is a lack of impetus from many sales markets," said VDMA economic expert Olaf Wortmann.
"But there is also a lack of a clear, business-friendly course from the German government with measures that would stimulate new investments," he added.
