Manufacturing output 1 percent down in March

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© Hollandse Hoogte
The average daily output generated by the Dutch manufacturing industry was 1.0 percent down in March 2019 compared to the same month last year. In the previous month, output was more or less the same year-on-year. In March, output in the rubber and plastic industry showed the strongest year-on-year growth.

Average daily output manufacturing (volume)
jaarmaandchange (year-on-year % change)
2015April-1.1
2015May1.8
2015June3.1
2015July0.3
2015August-1.1
2015September-0.6
2015October2.5
2015November1.9
2015December2.9
2016January3.5
2016February0.7
2016March2.3
2016April4.4
2016May2.7
2016June3.2
2016July3.3
2016August2.4
2016September2.3
2016October0.0
2016November3.4
2016December6.7
2017January0.4
2017February4.9
2017March3.0
2017April0.5
2017May5.0
2017June2.4
2017July2.7
2017August3.7
2017September4.8
2017October5.1
2017November5.3
2017December4.4
2018January7.5
2018February3.3
2018March3.8
2018April4.6
2018May2.9
2018June3.3
2018July0.8
2018August4
2018September1.7
2018October2.4
2018November1.3
2018December-4.3
2019January-0.3
2019February0.1
2019March-1.0

Strongest production growth in rubber and plastic industry

Output generated by the rubber and plastic industry increased by 7.5 percent in March relative to the same month in 2018. Production in the transport equipment, metal products and chemical products industries also grew.

Average daily output manufacturing (volume) by sector, March 2019
 change (year-on-year % change)
Rubber and plastic products7.5
Transport equipment5
Metal products4.2
Chemical products1.3
Food products-2.6
Electrotechnical products-4
Repair and installation of machinery-8.3
Machinery-8.6
Manufacturing (total)-1
Altogether, the industries referred to in the above graph account for approximately 75 percent of the total manufacturing output

Stable trend

A more accurate picture of short-term output developments is obtained when figures are adjusted for seasonal effects and the working-day pattern. After adjustments, a decrease is seen in manufacturing output between February and March 2019 of 0.5 percent.

Adjusted for seasonal and working-day effects, manufacturing output is seen to fluctuate significantly. From mid-2014 until the beginning of 2018, the overall trend was upward. Subsequently, the trend has been relatively stable.

Seasonally adjusted average daily output manufacturing (volume)
jaarmaandindex (2015=100)
2015April99.7
2015May99.5
2015June100.6
2015July99.9
2015August98.8
2015September99.3
2015October101.4
2015November101.5
2015December100.4
2016January101.9
2016February101.1
2016March102.1
2016April103.4
2016May102.1
2016June103.3
2016July102.9
2016August101.7
2016September102.3
2016October102.5
2016November105.0
2016December106.3
2017January103.1
2017February105.5
2017March105.2
2017April104.6
2017May106.6
2017June106.1
2017July106.1
2017August105.6
2017September107.3
2017October107.7
2017November109.7
2017December110.4
2018January110.6
2018February109.4
2018March109.5
2018April109.4
2018May109.6
2018June109.3
2018July107.7
2018August109.3
2018September109.1
2018October109.7
2018November110.3
2018December106.7
2019January109.7
2019February109.3
2019March108.7

Producer confidence improving

Producer confidence among Dutch manufacturers improved in April 2019. Manufacturers were more positive about future output and their stocks of finished products.

Germany is an important foreign market for the Dutch manufacturing industry. According to the IFO index, confidence among German manufacturers fell once again last month, to the lowest level in more than six years. This was due to both more pessimistic business expectations and less optimistic opinions on the current situation. In March, the average daily output generated by the German manufacturing industry was over 2 percent lower than in the same month last year.

The figures published in this news release are provisional and subject to revisions.

Sources

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