German Q1 steel orders rise 4% on year, almost 13% on Q4

German Q1 steel orders rise 4% on year, almost 13% on Q4: WV Stahl. German steel orders in the first quarter were up 4% on a year earlier, and almost 13% up on Q4 2010, as an upward trend in the market driven by domestic demand continued, national steel industry association Wirtschaftvereinigung Stahl said. Orders in Q1 2011 totaled 10.98 million mt, of which domestic comprised 7.17 million mt, orders to other EU countries 3.8 million mt, and other export destinations 992,000 mt, the body said in a statement. Germany accounted for a 10% increase in Q1 orders year-on-year, compensating for a 6% decrease in foreign orders, as the country's economy -- the biggest in Europe and fourth-largest globally -- performed stronger than others in the EU. While orders in Q1 grew, WV Stahl figures last month showed Germany's steel output in March of 4.03 million mt had an annual increase of only 0.1%, the rate of growth slowing from previous months. Deliveries of rolled steel products in the first quarter rose to 9.93 million mt from 8.9 million mt in Q4, it said. The order backlog at the end of March was 9.3 million mt, up from 8 million mt in December 2010, it said. The figure is slightly below the long-term average of 9.6 million mt, it said.