Data published by INSEE showed that industrial production increased by 1.1% in December, accelerating compared to November (+0.5%). Economists had expected production to grow by 0.2%. Meanwhile, manufacturing output increased by 1.2% after rising by 0.2% in November.
INSEE said that output accelerated in the “other manufacturing” industries (+2.1% after +0.3% in November). It bounced back in the manufacture of food products and beverages (+1.5% after -0.9%). It also accelerated in the manufacture of transport equipment (+1.6% after +0.3%). Output increased slightly in mining and quarrying, energy, water supply (+0.2% after +1.9%). On the contrary, it fell back in the manufacture of machinery and equipment goods (-2.4% after +1.4%) and decreased again in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products (‑1.7% after ‑1.7%).
Over the past three months (through December), industrial production increased by 1.1% per annum, while manufacturing production increased by 0.3% per annum. Output expanded in mining and quarrying, energy, water supply (+5.9%), in the manufacture of transport equipment (+6.6%) and in the manufacture of machinery and equipment goods (+2.1%). It increased strongly in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products (+23.5%). On the contrary, output declined in the manufacture of food products and beverages (‑3.5%) and in the “other manufacturing” industries (‑0.7%).