Industrial production expanded at a slower pace in February, led by manufacturers of steel pipes and rail freight containers, the State Statistics Service said Wednesday.
Output at factories, mines and utilities rose 1.9 percent after a 7.8 percent gain in January, the service said. Nonseasonally adjusted output rose 4.8 percent from January, which began with a 10-day holiday.
“Domestic demand is still suffering, it hasn’t fully recovered,” said Tatyana Orlova, an economist at ING Bank. “Among external factors, oil prices didn’t provide a big boost because they only shot up at the end of the month.”
Manufacturing advanced for a third month, rising an annual 0.8 percent in January, according to the report. Output of electricity, gas and water rose 7.2 percent, while mining and quarrying added 6.6 percent.
Output of steel pipes last month gained 47.6 percent year on year, the statistics service said. Rail freight container production more than tripled compared with the same period last year. Output of ceramic floor tiles last month rose an annual 16.4 percent.
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