According to the statistics released by France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), in December last year France's new industrial orders received, excepting heavy tranport vehicles, decreased 0.2 percent month on month. In November, new industrial orders had remained stable compared to October. On the other hand, in December export orders declined by 3.5 percent as compared to the previous month.

In December, the new orders index for the French domestic metallurgical industry increased by 4.4 percent as compared to the previous month, while the new orders index for the manufacture of metal products except machinery rose 2.1 percent as compared to November. Meanwhile, France's new orders index for the motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers sector fell by 4.3 percent in December last year as compared to the previous month.

In the fourth quarter of 2012, new industrial orders received in France increased by 1.4 percent compared to the previous quarter and were up 1.3 percent compared to the same quarter of 2011. In the fourth quarter, new orders went up in the French domestic metallurgical industry by 1.4 percent, the new orders index for the manufacture of metal products except machinery rose by 1.5 percent and the index for the motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers industry rose by two percent, all compared to the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, the new orders index soared in the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers by 6.7 percent in the fourth quarter, compared to the same quarter of 2011.