File photo: CGTN

BERLIN, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Total orders for Germany's industry continued to fall in December, but at a slower pace, according to a monthly industry survey published by the German economic think-tank ifo Institute die Economic Research on Tuesday.

"There was a big jump in the chemical industry," the think tank noted. An upswing was also recorded in the automotive industry, in mechanical engineering, metal production, manufacture of metal products, as well as in the production of electrical equipment.

"Developments were not positive across the board," ifo Institute stated. The index for manufacturers of electronic devices and producers of rubber and plastic goods fell significantly.

According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), new orders of Germany's manufacturing sector have been almost continuously falling since 2018. During that time, international orders generally outperformed orders from domestic ones in Germany.

Incoming orders in November 2019 were down 6.5 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, according to preliminary data from Destatis. The new figures for December 2019 are scheduled to be published on Thursday.