Weak export demand hits orders out of German factory gates

Weakness in China and Germany's other export partners have prompted the biggest drop in industrial orders in Europe's top economy in more than a decade, official data showed Monday. German industrial orders, a key measure of demand for goods, dropped sharply in April as foreign demand slumped, according to data released by statistics office Destatis. German industrial orders had not shown such a deep slump since July 2005, Destatis said.