Commercial vehicle demand in Germany falls 5% in 1Q

First-quarter commercial vehicle demand in Germany was down by 5% compared to the same period in 2002. Domestic orders fell 2% for commercial vehicles up to 6 tons, while they fell 5% for trucks above 6 tons. In March, German van manufacturers suffered a 4% drop in domestic orders, while those for heavy trucks above 6 tons were down 6% compared with March 2002. In March 2003, new registrations of trucks above 6 tons increased by 4% in a year-on-year comparison. In the first quarter of this year, just over 2% more vehicles were registered than a year ago. Foreign demand for German vans continues to fall. There was an 11%drop in the first quarter, with a 13% drop in March. By contrast, German manufacturers of commercial vehicles above 6 tons last month reported a foreign order volume that was 9% higher; the rate of increase for the entire quarter was 5%.