BERLIN (Reuters) - Industrial orders and business expectations point to the weakness in the German manufacturing sector continuing but it will likely be more than compensated for by other areas of the economy in the first quarter, the Economy Ministry said.
The ministry said on Friday that while the fading of special effects such as problems related to the introduction of stricter pollution standards and low water levels in the river Rhine would have a positive impact on production, it would still be significantly weaker than in the first half of 2018.
The ministry said risks for the economy included trade disputes and the uncertainty related to Brexit.
The government is expected to halve its economic growth forecast for 2019 to 0.5 percent from 1.0 percent due to weaker exports in the wake of global trade tensions, news magazine Der Spiegel reported.
(Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Joseph Nasr)
