Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Good news from Japan and EU

Machine tool orders explode on the upside, 192% YOY. Of course this is after a horrible beginning in 2009. Hitachi construction quarterly shows more modest increases of 1% QOQ but large changes in the Mideast and China, respectively 66.2% and 90.1% Komatsu showed increases of 132% for China yoy and 13.3% QOQ. German exports were up 3% for January.

2009 trade decline of 13% was a first contraction since 1982 and the greatest contraction in global trade since WWII. It was a bad year for trade but there are signs of a rebound; however, all numbers are coming off of low bases. The trade bottom was hit in the second quarter and has shown a V-shaped recovery although the end of year trade numbers were still below fourth quarter in 2008.

No comments: