Industry added-value improves by 3.4% in jan-march 2000

The industrial added value progress by 3.4% in the first three months of 2000, compared to 2.3% in the corresponding period of 1999.

According to the newsletter of the statistics department, the progression is ascribed to the good performance of the agro-food sector where the added value increased by 17%.

Industrial activity also benefited from a good behavior of mineral processing. The results, which could have been better, were mitigated by a weak performance of the textile, leather, chemical and para-chemical sectors, in addition to metallic, mechanical, electric and electronic industries.

Textile and leather suffered from poor competitiveness.

For the second three months of 2000, figures show that the processing industries will maintain the growth trend, but in a less sustained pace. Except for textile and leather, all other sectors will recover.

In the three last months of 2000, the statistics department says the upward trend will be maintained for the processing industries but in a more rapid pace than in Apr-June 2000. Industrial growth will stand around 2.5% compared to the corresponding period of 1999.