German manufacturing orders excluding the state of North-Rhine Westphalia rose in February and March thanks to strong global demand and increasing domestic demand, according to preliminary data from the Economy and Technology Ministry. February manufacturing orders excluding North-Rhine Westphalia were 17.2 pct higher year-on-year, while in March, they rose 15.0 pct. Data for the key state of North-Rhine Westphalia -- which normally makes up around 20 pct of federal manufacturing orders -- could not be included in the calculation due to public sector strikes in the state, the ministry said. The ministry also published manufacturing data for the first quarter, which includes estimates for North-Rhine Westphalia. It showed seasonally, price and calendar-adjusted orders rose 1.0 pct quarter-on-quarter and were up 9.0 pct year-on-year.