Source:Insee

12 JULY 2011

INDUSTRIAL output surged +2% and manufacturing +1.5% month-on-month in May fuelled by Capital Goods +3.2% increase and Durable Consumer Goods +1.7% rise. The production of Intermediate Goods turned positive and climbed +0.7% while Non Durable Consumer Goods slowed down to +0.4%. With the exception of the Food and Agriculture products production drop to -0.2%, other major index components production indices picked up substantially.

The Coke and refinery output index rose  to +3.5% as unusual May weather, the hottest month in over 100 years according to national forecasters, forced nuclear energy production down at several plants due to lower river water levels, necessary to cool down reactors. In parallel, energy demand rose due to prolonged use of air cooling devices in plants and at residential homes.

The production of transport equipment surged +2.5% boosted by the automobile industry equal momentum along with other transport equipment (railway, aerospace, boats, cycles and motor cycles). Consequently, output of electric, electronic equipment IT and machinery grew +2.3% thanks to electronic component +3% and machinery and equipment +2.5%. Rubber, plastic, and non mineral metallic products followed suit and jumped +2.2% Other industrial products output index moved up to +1.4% due to consumer goods textile-clothing-footwear +1.3% ahead of the summer period. Wood-paper-cardboard and printing production index rose +0.6% while pharmaceutical products, extensively import led, rose a more modest +0.5%.
The metal-metallic products output index turned positive and grew +0.5% but each commodity prices and tight stocks allowed for minimalist output.

In one year, overall output rose +2.6% and manufacturing +5.4% fired up by Capital Goods +8.1% momentum along with Intermediate Goods +4.8%.  Output of Durable Consumer Goods climbed +3% and Non Durable Consumer Goods +3.2%.

The automobile industry production index rose +6.3% and other transport equipment surged +3.5%, and transport equipment +4.9%. The Food and Agriculture production index rebounded +3.6% while the pharmaceutical industry output index contracted for the fifth consecutive month year-on-year and dipped -2.3%.  Best performers included machinery and equipment +12.3%, electric component +10.5%, and electric-electronic equipment +10.1%.