French industrial production rose 2.0% in May after two months of decline due mainly to the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a rebound well above expectations reassuring when the confidence of heads of business declines.
Manufacturing output, which is to say, but including non-energy food, rose 1.5%, state statistics released Monday by INSEE.
Twenty economists surveyed by Reuters on average expected a 0.5% increase in industrial production, and their estimates ranged from -0.2% to 1.0%.
The decline in industrial production in April, initially amounted to 0.3%, was revised to -0.5% and the increase in manufacturing output to 0.1% against 0.2% last month announced .In March, industrial production fell by 0.8% as manufacturing.
This decrease was notably driven by disruptions in the supply chain of some sectors caused by the disaster of March 11 in Japan and their impact on nuclear power plant in Fukushima.
Disturbances that seem to gradually fade away: in the car, particularly affected, the production increased by 2.5% in May after falling 4.6% in March and 2.6% in April.
The detailed statistics in May also showed a rebound of 2.3% of the production of electrical, electronic and computer, and 1.4% in other industries, which include textiles and leather (1.3%) , chemicals (+0.3%) or plastics (+2.2%).
POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE 2ND QUARTER
Energy production has amplified this trend, increasing by 5.7% in May while she was down 4.3% in April, with rising temperatures.
French industry and follows the same trajectory as the German: the other side of the Rhine, the business sector grew by 1.2% in May after falling 0.8% in April, a bounce him also significantly greater than anticipated.
The Minister of Economy, Baroin, welcomed the figure of French industry, saying in a statement that it "testifies to the strength of economic recovery in France."He reiterated in the wake growth forecast of 2% of the government for all of 2011.
The improvement which has benefited the industry in May, however, could be short-lived if we are to believe the latest surveys of business leaders.
PMI purchasing managers in the industry has declined in June to return to its lowest level since August 2009 and the business climate indicator for the Bank of France declined by four points.
The contribution of industry to growth in the second quarter should still be positive.
"The carry-over of industrial production for the second quarter was 0.4% a quarter over quarter in May," said Frédérique Cerisier, economist at BNP Paribas in a research note."In manufacturing, the achievements reached 0.8% after 3.3% in the first quarter."
Parallel to the industrial sector, construction activity fell 1.0% in May after rising 1.3% the previous month. It was up 3.3% on the quarter compared to the previous three months.