New orders for machinery and plants in December rose 12 pct from a year earlier, Germany's VDMA industry association said. The VDMA said domestic orders rose 28 pct year-on-year, while foreign orders rose 6 pct. The index for orders in the three months from October to December, which is less volatile than the monthly indicators, was 17 pct higher year-on-year, with domestic orders up 13 pct from the previous year and foreign orders up 19 pct.