Dec 8, 2017  -  Higher sales volumes for chemicals and plastics producers helped lift manufacturing in the September 2017 quarter, Stats NZ said today.

The total volume of manufacturing sales rose 0.3 percent in the September 2017 quarter compared with the June 2017 quarter, when adjusted for seasonal effects. This follows a 1.0 percent increase in the June 2017 quarter.

Six of the 13 manufacturing industries saw sales rise in the September 2017 quarter. The largest movements were chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing, up 3.7 percent, and transport equipment, machinery and equipment manufacturing, up 2.8 percent.

“The September quarter’s rise in chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing sales followed a sizeable 8.5 percent fall in the June 2017 quarter,” manufacturing manager Sue Chapman said. “This industry includes the manufacturing of fertiliser, plastics, and rubber products.”

Meat and dairy product manufacturing sales seasonally fall in the September quarter, with sales volumes down 0.5 percent. This followed an 8.0 percent rise in the June 2017 quarter.

The actual volume of total manufacturing sales was unchanged from the previous September quarter. When price changes are included, the value of manufacturing sales was $25.3 billion in the September 2017 quarter, up $2.0 billion from the September 2016 quarter.

| A STATSNZ release  || December 8, 2017   |||