In the fourth quarter, imports jumped at a 16.4percentt annual pace, up from an initially reported 11.3percentt rate, another reflection of solid demand.
Copper prices have remained high on the strength of solid demand, particularly from Asia, and the price of gold is well above historical norms.
The Netherlands, which has a much higher credit rating, also held a debt auction, selling €2 billion, or $2.6 billion, of bonds and attracting solid demand even after its government resigned over its failure to approve its budget.
Following several years of solid foreign demand for Austrian exports and record employment growth, the international financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent global economic downturn led to a sharp but brief recession.
Looking ahead, niche acquisitions and solid demand for defense electronics (23% of 2006 revenue) should drive sales and earnings.
I.B.M.'s performance follows strong results last week by Intel, the big chip maker, which cited "solid demand from corporate customers" as an engine of higher sales and profits.
The Spanish Treasury sold €5.6 billion, or $7.3 billion, of debt, more than the €4.5 billion it had planned to sell after it met with solid demand.
Meanwhile, there is solid demand from developing economies, which the World Bank estimates have contributed as much as 70 percent of the growth in global imports in the last five years.
"It's a solid industry supported by solid demand".
Solid demand underscores the economy's firming fundamentals.
For measurement of surface charge, the suspensions with demanded content of solid phase were prepared at pH of 3. The measurement of the zeta potential, particle distribution, and the surface charge was performed in NaCl, KCl, CsCl, or NaClO4 solutions with concentration of each electrolyte of 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 mol/l, respectively.
