Belgium: Industrial activity declines sharply in December
Industrial output decreased 4.6% year-on-year in December (November: +0.2% yoy). Looking at the details of the release, manufacturing output contracted sharply in December. Meanwhile mining and quarrying production contracted at a more pronounced rate. Energy output decreased at a milder, albeit still pronounced, pace.
On a monthly basis, industrial production dropped 1.9% in seasonally-adjusted terms in December, a milder contraction than November’s 2.8% fall. Meanwhile, the trend pointed down, with the annual average variation of industrial production coming in at minus 3.8% in December, down from November’s minus 2.5%.