London, May 8 (Bloomberg) -- German and U.K. industry production unexpectedly declined in March, suggesting Europe's two largest economies will be slow to recover from last year's slump.
British companies made 0.4 percent fewer goods than in February, the government said. From a year ago, manufacturing fell the most in more than two decades. In Germany, factories pared output by 0.8 percent, the Finance Ministry said.
``Things are the same and getting tougher,'' said Abdul Noormohamed, the co-director at AVJ Mercantile Ltd., a U.K. maker of gaskets for customers including Ford Motor Co. ``We're finding it very, very difficult to try and sell.''
The two countries account for about half the economy of the 15- member European Union. SGL Carbon AG, a German producer of graphite electrodes for steelmakers worldwide, said its net loss for the first quarter tripled. Strikes by German metalworkers may mean a further loss of production for companies.
U.K. production of passenger cars fell 4.6 percent in March from February
In the U.K., the fastest growing among the Group of Seven major industrial economies last year, gross domestic product expanded 0.1 percent last quarter after not growing at all in the final three months of last year.
``It's a shocker,'' said Juli Collins-Thompson, an economist at BNP Paribas SA. ``It gives me doubt about a rebound in manufacturing.''
The U.S., German and Japanese economies contracted together for the first time in a generation in the third quarter.
While the world's largest economy grew at the fastest pace in two years in the first quarter, German business confidence fell and unemployment rose in April. Domestic orders for German goods declined in March.
Germany's economy sank into its first recession in eight years in the second half of last year.
www.bloomberg.com
sorry,kenne keinen,der so schnell auf deutsch ist
British companies made 0.4 percent fewer goods than in February, the government said. From a year ago, manufacturing fell the most in more than two decades. In Germany, factories pared output by 0.8 percent, the Finance Ministry said.
``Things are the same and getting tougher,'' said Abdul Noormohamed, the co-director at AVJ Mercantile Ltd., a U.K. maker of gaskets for customers including Ford Motor Co. ``We're finding it very, very difficult to try and sell.''
The two countries account for about half the economy of the 15- member European Union. SGL Carbon AG, a German producer of graphite electrodes for steelmakers worldwide, said its net loss for the first quarter tripled. Strikes by German metalworkers may mean a further loss of production for companies.
U.K. production of passenger cars fell 4.6 percent in March from February
In the U.K., the fastest growing among the Group of Seven major industrial economies last year, gross domestic product expanded 0.1 percent last quarter after not growing at all in the final three months of last year.
``It's a shocker,'' said Juli Collins-Thompson, an economist at BNP Paribas SA. ``It gives me doubt about a rebound in manufacturing.''
The U.S., German and Japanese economies contracted together for the first time in a generation in the third quarter.
While the world's largest economy grew at the fastest pace in two years in the first quarter, German business confidence fell and unemployment rose in April. Domestic orders for German goods declined in March.
Germany's economy sank into its first recession in eight years in the second half of last year.
www.bloomberg.com
sorry,kenne keinen,der so schnell auf deutsch ist
