Berlin (dpa) - Germany‘s key industrial sector is likely to have finished last year on a solid footing with data released on Monday showing both output and trade expanding in November.While monthly industrial production increased in November by 0.4 per cent compared with a 0.5-per-cent rise in October, November exports jumped by a stronger-than-forecast 3.9 per cent, the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) said.Imports also beat analysts‘ forecasts, rising 3.5 per cent in November from a 1.2-per-cent gain in October, Destatis said.Analysts had expected exports to rise by 0.5 per cent from October when they also rose by 0.5 per cent and imports to pick up by 1.1 per cent.November industrial production, however, fell short of the 0.6-per-cent rise forecast by analysts.Still, production came in 2.2-per-cent higher in November compared to the same month in 2015.Commenting on the output data, the Economic Affairs Ministry said: "In manufacturing and construction, production picked up markedly after a weak summer half."Orders in manufacturing and construction, as well as sentiment indicators in these sectors, point to solid output growth in the winter half," the ministry said.
