Manufacturers more negative in April

These are the most recent figures on this topic. View the previous figures here.
© ANP / Ramon van Flymen

Erratum:

On 12 May, this news release was revised on the following point.
Figures for April in the 2nd and 3rd graph have been adjusted.

Graph 2:
Expected output from 5.9 to 5.8
Assessment of stocks of finished products from -5.9 to -5.8

Graph 3:
Other manufacturing and repair from 1.9 to 1.4
Food, beverages, tobacco from -2.7 to -2.5
Metal from -3.9 to -4.1
Petroleum and chemicals from -5 to -4.9
Timber and building materials from -5.1 to -5
Transport equipment from -5.6 to -5.3
Paper and printing from -6.9 to -7
Textiles, clothes, leather from -10 to -9.5
Dutch manufacturers were more negative in April than they were in March, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Producer confidence fell from -1.5 in March to -3.3 in April. Manufacturers were mainly less positive about expected output for the next three months.

Producer confidence in April was below the 20-year average of -1.3. It reached an all-time high (10.4) in October 2021 and an all-time low (-31.5) in April 2020.

Less positive about expected output

Manufacturers’ assessment of the expected output for the next three months was less positive than it was in March. In addition, they were more negative about current stocks of finished products, as well as order positions.

One component indicator of producer confidence was positive: manufacturers who anticipated an increase in output over the next three months outnumbered those expecting a decrease.

However, two other component indicators were negative. Manufacturers were more likely to indicate that their order position was weak rather than strong for the time of year, and more manufacturers described their current stock of finished products as large rather than small.

 

Producer confidence negative in almost all industrial sectors

Confidence was negative in almost all industrial sectors. Manufacturers in the textiles, clothes and leather industries were the most negative of any major sector. The only manufacturers with positive producer confidence where those in the category ‘Other manufacturing and repair’, which includes furniture as well as the repair and installation of machinery.

 

Slight increase in capacity utilisation rate

The industrial capacity utilisation rate stood at 77.5 percent at the start of Q2 2025. This is slightly higher than Q1 (77.2 percent), but still relatively low.

Manufacturing output up by 1 percent in February

In February, the calendar-adjusted output of the Dutch manufacturing sector was 1 percent higher than it was in February 2024. This marks the second consecutive rise in production after a year and a half of decreasing production. Manufacturing output rose by 1.2 percent relative to January, after adjusting for seasonal- and calendar effects.

Sources

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