Colombia: Industrial production swings back into expansionary territory in January
Industrial production rose 1.0% over the same month of the previous year in January according to data released by Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) on 14 March. This contrasted a revised 0.7% year-on-year contraction in December (previously reported: -0.8% year-on-year).
A breakdown of the data showed that 19 out of the 39 industrial activities recorded an expansion. Of the remaining 20 sub-components, one observed no change and the rest contracted. Among the major drivers of January’s print was the category of coking, oil refinery, and fuel blending, which holds the biggest weight in terms of the contribution to the overall result. The sector grew robustly, although the pace of expansion moderated from the previous month. Basic industries of iron and steel also drove the turnaround, growing again at a double-digit rate. Moreover, production of plastic products and manufacture of non-metallic mineral products both contracted at a softer pace, helping to counter a steep drop in the manufacture of machinery and equipment and slightly weaker growth in the sector of processing and preservation of meat, fish, crustaceans and molluscs.
Annual average growth in industrial production inched down to minus 0.5% in January from December’s almost four-year low of minus 0.6%.