Frankfurt am Main: German industrial production saw an unexpected dip in October, official data showed on Friday, suggesting a wobbly start to the fourth quarter for Europe’s top economy.
Industrial output slipped 0.5 per cent year-on-year, national statistics office Destatis said, after a downwardly revised 0.1 per cent rise in September. The fall was led by slumps in consumer goods and energy production. But there was some good news in the manufacturing sector, with capital and producer goods makers reporting slight gains.
The German economy ministry blamed October’s weak reading on ongoing problems in the crucial auto industry, where carmakers have struggled to adapt to tough new EU pollution tests.
“Production in the car industry suggests that problems with the transition to the new WLTP (emissions) test cycle are only being gradually resolved,” the ministry said in a statement. — AFP
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