The index of industrial production for the manufacturing sector recorded a 4.4% year-on-year fall in this year's first quarter, with the corresponding producer price index rising 5.8%, according to a Census & Statistics Department survey.

The quarter saw the textiles (including knitting) industry have the largest fall in output, down 22.8%, followed by the electrical and electronic products, machinery, professional equipment and optical goods industry (down 14.2%) and the apparel (except footwear) industry (down 8.9%).

Rises in output were recorded for the basic metals and fabricated metal products industry (up 7.5%), the food, beverages and tobacco industry (up 6.9%), the chemical, rubber, and plastic and non-metallic mineral products industry (up 5.3%) and the paper products and printing industry (up 1.7%).

On a seasonally adjusted basis the index of industrial production for the manufacturing sector in this year's first quarter fell 4.3% on the previous three-month period.

For producer prices, the fabricated metal products (except machinery and equipment) industry had the largest rise, up 9.1%, followed by the machinery, equipment, apparatus, parts and components industry (up 3.5%), the plastic products industry (up 2%) and the paper products and printing industry (up 1.9%). However, producer prices in the consumer electrical and electronic products industry fell 3.7% and the textiles (including knitting) industry dipped 1.6%.

Comparing the first quarter with last year's fourth, the producer price index for the manufacturing sector as a whole rose 2.8%.