A spokesperson said that although the figure was positive, it indicated a slowdown in growth enjoyed during the previous 18 months. Order books were also slimmer at 3.1 months of work, down from 3.4 months in the third quarter.
The Italian market had taken much of the strain. Foreign orders rose by almost 11% while domestic business shrunk by almost 9%. Prices rose by 2.5%.
A survey by ACIMALL found about one-third of companies expected business to pick up while close to two-thirds expected it to remain much the same. Only 3% anticipated a decline.
