Economics

German, French Industrial Production Disappoints in March

  • German production drops 1.3% compared with estimated 0.2% fall
  • French manufacturing, industrial production miss estimate

Employees weld side panels of a railway train factory in Salzgitter, Germany.

Photographer: Martin Leissl/Bloomberg
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Industrial production in the euro area’s three biggest economies disappointed in March, possibly signaling slackening demand in Europe.

German production, adjusted for seasonal swings, fell 1.3 percent, its second consecutive decline and exceeding a 0.2 percent drop predicted by economist in a Bloomberg survey. In France, output unexpectedly fell 0.3 percent, and Italy saw production stagnate in March after a drop in February. Output dropped 2.4 percent in the Netherlands.