The world materials handling trucks market is expected to grow 6.4 per cent from 855,000 units in 2006 to 910,000 units this year, Jungheinrich AG board of management chairman Wolfgang Kiel says.

Kiel made the comment at a Hamburg press conference about the company's balance sheet.

"We anticipate that the business trend will continue to be positive in 2007," he said.

For the first two months of 2007, Jungheinrich received orders to the value of EUR319 million (USD433.8 million), up 15 per cent from 2006's EUR277 million (USD376.7 million). Sales at the end of February 2007 totalled EUR288 million (USD391.6 million), up 23 per cent from 2006's EUR 234 million (USD318.2 million).

Jungheinrich forecast a "significant rise" in incoming orders and sales for fiscal 2007.