FRANKFURT, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Germany's mechanical engineering industry saw a sharp rise in order intake in March, according to a report released Wednesday by the German Engineering Federation (VDMA).
The industry recorded a 27-percent increase in real orders in March compared with the same period last year, the report showed.
The surge was mainly driven by orders for large-scale industrial plants and other high-volume projects, which the association described as "special effects."
"These one-off effects are very encouraging. Unfortunately, however, they do not mark the start of a broad-based recovery, but merely gloss over the situation," VDMA chief economist Johannes Gernandt said.
Gernandt noted that weak investment sentiment remains a key challenge for the industry, citing uncertainties stemming from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as U.S. tariff policies.
The association called for "urgently needed structural reforms" in Germany and Europe to support a sustained recovery in the sector.
In the first quarter of this year, the mechanical engineering industry reported a 4-percent year-on-year increase in orders. ■