BERLIN (AP) — The German government says factory orders dropped sharply in August — led lower by a big drop in demand from outside the euro area and canceling out a large rise the previous month.

The Economy Ministry said Monday that orders in Europe’s biggest economy were down 5.7 percent compared with the previous month. Demand was lower across the board but the biggest drop was in orders from countries outside the 18-nation eurozone, which fell 9.9 percent.