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

Manufacturers were also less negative about their order positions. Opinions about their current stocks of finished products remained negative, however, a CBS release said

Manufacturers who anticipated an increase in output over the next three months outnumbered those expecting a decrease.

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.

Confidence improved in half of the main industrial sectors.

The calendar-adjusted output of the country’s manufacturing industry was 6 per cent lower year on year (YoY) in March this year. YoY output also contracted in the preceding eight months.

After adjustments for seasonal and calendar effects, manufacturing output fell by 1.5 per cent relative to the February figure.

Output prices for Dutch-manufactured products were 0.1 per cent YoY lower on an average in April this year. In March, the price drop was 0.8 per cent YoY.

Manufacturing output prices rose by 0.8 per cent in April compared to the March figures. Prices in export markets rose by 1.1 per cent and in domestic markets by 0.2 per cent.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)