German factory orders down 2nd straight month in August

BERLIN (AP) - German factory orders dropped for the second consecutive month in August, led by a drop in demand from countries outside the eurozone and lower demand at home.

The Economy Ministry said Tuesday that orders were down 1.8 percent in seasonally adjusted terms compared with the previous month. That followed a 2.2 percent drop in July.

Orders from other countries in the euro area were up 2.5 percent, following a smaller gain in July. However, demand from inside Germany was off 2.6 percent and orders from outside the eurozone dropped 3.7 percent. The Economy Ministry noted that demand from countries beyond the euro area appears to be "less reliable at present."

Germany has Europe's biggest economy and is one of the world's biggest exporters.