Romania’s seasonally-adjusted industrial output has hovered within a narrow +/-5% band over the past 12 months, at the lowest level seen since early 2017, according to data from the statistics office INS.

In the third quarter of the year (Q3), the adjusted output marked a 1.5% QoQ decline (-0.4% QoQ for the manufacturing industries) after a steeper 2% QoQ fall in Q2 (-4.2% for manufacturing).

The outlook is not bright, given the high energy prices that prevent some major factories (aluminium and fertilizers producers) from operating.

The breakdown confirms the expected steep contraction of energy-intensive industries: the chemical industry’s output dropped by 21.1% YoY in January-September, and metallurgy marked an 11.6% YoY contraction.

On the upside, the food industry outperformed the overall 0.2% advance of the manufacturing industries in the first nine months of the year – with a significant 4.5% advance.

iulian@romania-insider.com

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