According to the latest data released by the German Machine Tool Manufacturers Association (VDW), orders for the German machine tool industry increased by 83% in the second quarter alone, with domestic orders increasing by 72% and overseas orders increasing by 88%. From January to June 2011, orders received by the German machine tool industry increased by 103% compared to the same period of last year. Orders from the domestic market increased by 96% year-on-year, while overseas market orders increased by 107%. The total number of orders increased by 8% compared to the same period in 2008.

Gerhard Hein, director of economics and statistics at the German Machine Tool Manufacturers Association, said that the continued growth in demand for machine tools made the German machine tool industry perform quite well in the first half of 2011. At the same time, he also stated that this growth rate was based on the development of the German machine tool industry in 2010.

The continuous increase in orders from the machine tool industry has also led to a consistently high level of productivity in the machine tool sector. The utilization rate in July this year reached 94.7%, which is much higher than the 76.3% recorded in the same period of last year. At present, the backlog of orders for the German machine tool industry has reached 9.7 months, which is the highest level in recent years.