Manufacturing Sales Increase 2.5 Percent

Manufacturing Sales Increase 2.5 Percent

Seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales for the June 2004 quarter increased 2.5 percent compared with the March 2004 quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand. With the effect of price changes removed, seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales increased 0.9 percent over the same period.

Eight of 15 industries recorded increases in seasonally adjusted sales in the June 2004 quarter compared with the March 2004 quarter. The two largest increases were for meat and dairy product manufacturing, which was up $244 million (5.7 percent), and machinery and equipment manufacturing, up $116 million (7.5 percent). Structural, sheet and fabricated metal product manufacturing (down $67 million or 5.5 percent) and rubber, plastic and other chemical product manufacturing (down $32 million or 2.8 percent), recorded the largest decreases in seasonally adjusted sales.

The trend in total manufacturing sales increased 2.7 percent in the June 2004 quarter compared with the March 2004 quarter. This follows increases of 2.6 percent in the March 2004 quarter and 2.1 percent in the December 2003 quarter.

The value of finished goods stocks as at 30 June 2004 had increased $4 million compared with the same time last year, to $6,648 million.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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