INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
In February, manufacturing output dropped 1.2% compared to the same month last year.Real sales fell 0.4%, while employment in the sector
These figures show a sector that remains under pressure, with only a few bright spots
Seventeen of 39 industrial activities posted negative production growth, subtracting 3.8 points from the overall result.The remaining 22
activities added 2.5 points
Coffee milling led the gains with a 62.9% surge in production and a 56.6% jump in sales
Other transport equipment manufacturing and confectionery also grew, but these gains could not offset sharp declines elsewhere.Automotive
manufacturing shrank 34.4%, and leather tanning fell 21.5%
Vehicle body and trailer production dropped 16.3%
Sales in these sectors mirrored the production slump, with vehicle body sales down 45.6% and leather tanning sales down 22.7%.Colombian
Manufacturing Falters as Key Sectors Struggle in Early 2025
(Photo Internet reproduction)For January and February combined, production grew 0.3% and sales rose 0.6%, but employment slipped 0.1%
Over the past twelve months, production fell 1.5%, sales dropped 1.4%, and employment declined 0.7%.Twenty-eight industrial activities
posted negative results, while only eleven grew
Persistent weak demand, high input costs, and currency pressures continue to weigh on the sector.Retail sales, by contrast, rose 7% in
February, showing a shift in consumer demand
