Manufacturing Sales Increase 2.3 Percent

Manufacturing Sales Increase 2.3 Percent

Seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales for the December 2003 quarter increased by 2.3 percent, compared with the September 2003 quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand. With the effect of price changes removed, seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales increased by 2.6 percent over the same period.

Eight out of 15 industries recorded increases in seasonally adjusted sales in the December 2003 quarter, compared with the September 2003 quarter. The two largest increases were meat and dairy product manufacturing, up $309 million (or 8.1 percent) and other food manufacturing, up $108 million (or 6.5 percent). Machinery and equipment manufacturing down $41 million (or 2.6 percent) and basic metal manufacturing down $40 million (or 7.4 percent) recorded the largest decreases in sales.

The trend in total manufacturing sales increased 1.6 percent in the December 2003 quarter, compared with the September 2003 quarter. This follows an increase of 1.2 percent in the September 2003 quarter and a decrease of 0.1 percent in the June 2003 quarter. The value of finished goods stocks as at 31 December 2003 was 1.5 percent higher than the same time last year.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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