German industrial orders down 1.7 pct in June

(AP) Industrial orders in Germany were down 1.7 percent in June compared with the previous month led lower by a 4.9 percent slide in orders from countries that use the euro, government data show.

The drop in the often-volatile index released Tuesday by the Economy Ministry followed a 0.7 percent increase in May. That was revised upward slightly from the initial reading of 0.6 percent.

Domestic demand also dropped in June, with orders falling 2.1 percent. But demand from outside the 17-country group that uses the euro edged up 0.6 percent.

The German economy, Europe's biggest, so far has been relatively unaffected by the debt crisis afflicting its eurozone partners. But its growth is expected to slow this year and business confidence is fading.