[Ferro-Alloys.com]

Manufacturing production across the EU fell by more than 6pc on the year in September, the largest drop for any month since June 2020, preliminary data from Eurostat show.

EU output fell by 6.1pc from September 2022, its fifth consecutive year-on-year reduction. It was lower than a year earlier in four out of the five top gas-consuming countries — Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and France (see year-on-year graph). Only Spain, one of Europe's most resilient economies over the past two years, managed a small increase of 0.6pc on the year. September was the weakest month of German output compared with a 2015 basis since March last year.

Dutch manufacturing output has fallen on the year in every month so far in 2023, but the 10.3pc decline in September was the steepest since April's 12pc. The country's gas-intensive chemicals and refining sectors have consistently struggled this year.

Manufacturing output in almost all EU countries was lower on the year, with output only growing in Spain, Lithuania, Croatia, Sweden and Denmark. The latter two economies have been similarly resilient to Spain — Swedish production has grown on the year in seven out of the last nine months, while Danish output last fell on the year in December 2020.

Output in almost all key gas-intensive sectors was much lower than a year earlier in September. The non-metallic minerals and paper products sectors led the decline for the fourth month in a row, falling by 11.4pc and 10.3pc, respectively (see year-on-year sector table). Motor vehicle manufacturing was up by 3.5pc, the smallest increase for any month since April 2022. The coke and refined petroleum products sector registered a second consecutive year-on-year increase, having declined in every month in January-July. argusmedia

• [Editor:kangmingfei]