Key findings: P3041.2 - Manufacturing: Production and sales, December 2010

Manufacturing production for 2010 reflected an increase of 4,9% compared with 2009 after an annual decrease of 12,9% recorded for 2009. Higher production for the year 2010 was reported by six of the ten manufacturing divisions.

The annual increase of 4,9% was mainly due to higher production in the motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment division (20,5% and contributing 1,8 percentage points), the petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products division (6,1% and contributing 1,5 percentage points), the basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery division (4,2% and contributing 0,9 of a percentage point) and the food and beverages division (4,0% and contributing 0,7 of a percentage point).

Manufacturing production increased marginally by 0,2% in December 2010 compared with December  2009.

Manufacturing production rose by 0,2% year-on-year in December 2010, lower than the 4,6% increase in November 2010 compared with November 2009. The increase of 0,2% was driven mainly by higher production in the food and beverages division (6,6% and contributing 1,4 percentage points), the wood and wood products, paper, publishing and printing division (9,6% and contributing 0,9 of a percentage point) and the motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment division (8,0% and contributing 0,6 of a percentage point).

However, these increases were to a large extent counteracted by decreases reported by the petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products division (-4,1% and contributing -1,0 percentage point), the basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery division (-3,5% and contributing -0,7 of a percentage point) and the other manufacturing division (-14,6% and contributing -0,7 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted manufacturing production for the fourth quarter of 2010 increased by 1,1% compared with the third quarter of 2010. Six of the ten manufacturing divisions reported positive growth rates over this period.