Manufacturing output continues to grow

Transport equipment sector shows strongest growth

Output generated by the sector transport equipment was more than 11 percent up in October 2016 from October last year, due to an increase in the production of passenger cars and trucks. The production of rubber and plastic products, chemical products and the food sector was also above average, but output generated by the electrical equipment industry, the pharmaceutical industry and the metal products industry declined relative to October 2015.

Altogether, the industries referred to in the above graph account for approximately 70 percent of total manufacturing output.

Positive trend manufacturing output

Figures adjusted for seasonal effects and the working-day pattern provide a more reliable picture of short-term output developments. From September to October 2016, manufacturing output grew by 0.5 percent.

Adjusted for seasonal variation, manufacturing output shows an irregular pattern with many ups and downs, but since mid-2014, the overall trend has been upward.

Producer confidence is slightly lower

A few weeks ago, CBS reported that confidence among Dutch manufacturers deteriorated slightly in November, mainly due to a less positive mood among manufacturers about their future output.

Germany is an important foreign market for Dutch manufacturing industry. Just as their Dutch counterparts, German manufacturers were slightly less optimistic in November than in October. The average daily output generated by the German manufacturing industry was 1.3 percent higher in October 2016 than in October 2015.

The numbers in this publication are provisional and can be adjusted.