XN000022-1989-08-13 — Page 2

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 1989

INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION FOR FIRST QUARTER

THE INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1989. AT 109, WAS 4 POINTS OR 3.8 PER CENT ABOVE THAT FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1988, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (SUNDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THIS COMPARES WITH THE YEAR-ON-YEAR GROWTH RATES OF 8.1 PER CENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1988, 6.3 PER CENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1988, 3.4 PER CENT

+

IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1988, 6.1 PER CENT THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1988, AND WITH THE AVERAGE GROWTH RATE OF 6 CENT FOR 1988.

IN

PER

A

A

COMPARED WITH THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1988, THE INDEX SHOWED DECREASE OF 24 POINTS OR 18 PER CENT, THIS SIGNIFICANT DROP WAS SEASONAL PHENOMENON CAUSED MAINLY BY THE INCIDENCE OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS.

INDUSTRIES SHOWING THE LARGEST INCREASES IN PRODUCTION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1989 OVER THE SAME QUARTER OF 1988 WERE MACHINERY, EXCEPT ELECTRICAL (+29.2 PER CENT); PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS (+13.2 PER CENT); BASIC METALS (+12.7 PER CENT); ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PARTS, ACCESSORIES AND MACHINERY (+10.4 PER

(+10.4 PER CENT); AND NEWSPAPER PRINTING, JOB PRINTING AND OTHER PRINTING (+9.8 PER CENT).

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FOLLOWING INDUSTRIES REPORTED A DECLINE IN PRODUCTION COMPARED WITH THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1988

RUBBER PRODUCTS (-13.4 PER CENT); PLASTIC PRODUCTS (-10.5 PER CENT); WOOD AND CORK PRODUCTS, AND FURNITURE AND FIXTURES (EXCEPT PRIMARILY OF METAL) (-4.5 PER CENT); TOBACCO (-2.6 PER CENT); LEATHER PRODUCTS AND FOOTWEAR (EXCEPT RUBBER, PLASTIC AND WOODEN FOOTWEAR (-0.9 PER CENT); AND TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT (-0.9 PER CENT).

COMPARING THE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1989 WITH THAT IN THE PRECEDING QUARTER BUT BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON IS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED REPORTED SOME DECREASES IN PRODUCTION.

THE MORE SIGNIFICANT DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE FOLLOWING INDUSTRIES : TEXTILES (INCLUDING KNITTING) (-28.2 PER CENT): LEATHER PRODUCTS AND FOOTWEAR (EXCEPT RUBBER, PLASTIC AND WOODEN FOOTWEAR)

1-23.8 PER CENT); PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT, PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OPTICAL GOODS, WATCHES AND CLOCKS (-22.1 PER CENT); FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, EXCEPT MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT (-21.5 PER CENT); PLASTIC PRODUCTS (-21.4 PER CENT); WEARING APPAREL, EXCEPT KNITWEAR AND FOOTWEAR (-20.5 PER CENT); AND PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS (-20.2 PER CENT).

/IN RELEASING