New orders in North Rhine-Westphalia’s machinery and plant engineering sector were slightly above the previous year’s level in July. However, a three-month comparison continues to show weak demand.
In July 2026, order intake in the machinery and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia was 2 percent higher in real terms than the previous year’s figure. While domestic business declined by 11 percent, orders from abroad were 10 percent higher than the previous year’s figure. Orders from non-eurozone countries rose by 11 percent, while orders from eurozone countries increased by 8 percent.
In the more meaningful and less volatile three-month period from May to July 2026, new orders were down 4 percent overall compared with the same period a year earlier. Both domestic demand (down 1 percent) and foreign demand (down 6 percent) declined. The decline was particularly pronounced in the non-eurozone, with a drop of 8 percent, while orders from the eurozone remained 1 percent below the 2025 level.
The slight increase in July is a positive sign, but should not be overinterpreted. Domestic orders remain weak, and even the more meaningful three-month period continues to show a decline in order intake. As a result, the mechanical and plant engineering sector in North Rhine-Westphalia continues to operate in a challenging environment. It will be crucial for these isolated positive signs to give rise once again to broad and sustainable growth in demand.