Manufacturing production decreases

Pretoria - Manufacturing production decreased by 0.4% in June 2015 compared with June 2014, Statistics SA announced on Tuesday.

The largest negative contributions to the year-on-year decrease in manufacturing production were made by petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products (-4.9% and contributing -1.1 percentage points) and basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery (-3.4% and contributing -0.7 of a percentage point).

Large positive contributions were made by motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment (10.4% and contributing 0.8 of a percentage point) and food and beverages (2.8% and contributing 0.7 of a percentage point).

Seasonally adjusted manufacturing production decreased by 1.2% in the second quarter 2015 compared with the first quarter of 2015. Six of the ten manufacturing divisions reported negative growth rates over this period.

The largest contributions to the 1.2% quarter-on-quarter decrease in manufacturing production were made by the basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery (-4.4% and contributing -0.8 of a percentage point) and petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products (-3.3% and contributing -0.7 of a percentage point).