TOKYO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Japan's core private-sector machinery orders rose 13.6 percent in February from the previous month to 1.1 trillion yen (about 7 billion U.S. dollars), government data showed Wednesday.

The orders, which exclude those for ships and from electricity utilities due to their volatility, marked a record high, surpassing the previous peak set in January 2008, according to the cabinet office.

Machinery orders from the manufacturing sector climbed 30.7 percent to 569.5 billion yen, while those from non-manufacturers rose 0.9 percent to 568.4 billion yen.

The office maintained its assessment that machinery orders, a leading indicator of capital expenditure, were showing signs of picking up. ■