France's Manufacturing Bounce May Prove Short-Lived
2026-05-06·via All Articles on Seeking Alpha
Summary
As expected, French manufacturing output rebounded in March, rising by 1.2% month-on-month after a 0.1% decline in February.
Since the start of the war in the Middle East, French industries have benefited from an improvement in their competitiveness relative to Asian competitors, which have been more severely and immediately affected by disruptions to energy supplies.
While industrial production and inventory building allowed French GDP to narrowly avoid a contraction in the first quarter, the weakness in demand raises concern about the outlook.
A rebound boosted by inventories and temporary competitiveness gains
As expected, French manufacturing output rebounded in March, rising by 1.2% month-on-month after a 0.1% decline in February. Total industrial production
