The driving force was the non-Euro foreign countries, which contributed an order increase of 9 percent. Orders from domestic and Euro partner countries remained at last year's level. For foreign countries overall, an increase of 6 percent was calculated. 'The small order increase in October is encouraging, but unfortunately only a consolidation at a low level. Because October of last year was one of the weakest months in 2024. The continuing unfavorable order situation is also reflected in the current annual balance for 2025: orders in the first ten months were still 1 percent lower in real terms than the previous year's value,' says VDMA Chief Economist Dr. Johannes Gernandt. 'The mechanical engineering industry continues to stagnate,' he adds. 'The necessary signals for a breakthrough in global trade are missing, and the promised economic reforms that would genuinely relieve companies are lacking.'
In the less volatile three-month period from August to October 2025, companies recorded an order decrease of 6 percent in real terms. Domestic orders fell by 3 percent, while foreign orders recorded a decline of 8 percent. Orders from Euro countries decreased by 2 percent, while non-Euro countries reported a drop of 10 percent.
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