The industrial production index for the manufacturing sector as a whole fell 10.4% in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared with a year earlier, while the corresponding producer price index grew 3.9%, the Census & Statistics Department says.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the industrial production index fell 3.2% while the index for the whole year dropped 6.5%.

Comparing the fourth quarter with a year earlier, falls were recorded for all industry groups. Textiles had the largest fall (-25.4%), followed by apparel (-23.3%), basic metals and fabricated metal products (-14.9%), electrical and electronic products, machinery, professional equipment and optical goods (-11.5%), chemical, rubber, plastic and non-metallic mineral products (-8.2%), paper products and printing (-4.1%), and food, beverages and tobacco (-2.9%).

Comparing the fourth quarter with the third the producer price index fell 0.3% while the producer price index for 2008 dropped 5.5%.

In the fourth quarter fabricated metal products had the largest increase (22.1%), followed by the machinery, equipment, apparatus, parts and components (3.9%).

Falls were recorded in consumer electrical and electronic products (-4.9%), textiles (-3.1%), apparel (-1.5%), and plastic products (-1.1%).