London CNN —Industrial production in Europe’s biggest economy fell 1.5% in June compared with May, driven by a 3.5% drop in Germany’s vast automotive sector. The decline in German industrial output, much steeper than forecast by economists, raises the risk that the manufacturing heavyweight will contract again later this year, potentially falling back into recession. The construction sector, where output shrank by 2.8%, also had a negative impact on overall industrial production, the country’s statistics office said Monday. “German industry remains in rough waters,” Salomon Fiedler, economist at Berenberg, said in a note Monday, noting last year’s energy price shock and weakness in US and Chinese demand, among other factors. Berenberg expects Germany to fall back into “a mild recession” in the second half of this year, Fiedler added.

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Persons: “, ” Franziska Palmas, Jörg Krämer, Hildegard Müller, ” Salomon Fiedler, Fiedler, — Mark Thompson, Anna Cooban Organizations: London CNN —, Capital Economics, Auto, German Automotive Industry Association, Volkswagen Locations: Germany, Europe, China, Russia, Ukraine, “