Manufacturing exports down

Overall new manufacturing orders increased by 10 per cent from second to third quarter this year measured as annual growth in the trend series. Moderate growth in new domestic orders and higher export demand in some industries are factors behind the change. Softening international markets are, however, a main feature.

Industries that traditionally have had a high export share are experiencing lower foreign demand, probably as a result of the crises in Asia and Russia. In recent quarters the non-ferrous metals industry has seen a reduction in new orders from export markets, although the stable domestic market is offsetting some of the loss. Measured in current prices, export demand in the basic chemicals industry is at the same level as in 1990. There are many indications that this industry is experiencing a real decline in volume. The home market share has climbed from 16 to 34 per cent during the same period.

The electrical, optical equipment and metal products industries are also experiencing a continued drop in demand from abroad. Overall demand in the machinery industry declined slightly this quarter, although new orders are still higher compared with the same quarter last year.

New orders in the transport equipment industry rose by almost 24 per cent, at the same time as order backlogs shrank seven per cent. Only a handful of shipyards have had an increase in orders compared to the previous quarter. Throughout 1998, new orders have been considerably under the level of fourth quarter 1997, which saw an influx of orders before the reduction in shipbuilding subsidies took effect on 1 January.

New Statistics
Statistics on new orders. Manufacturing, 3rd quarter, 1998.
The statistics are published quarterly in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. For more information, contact: Hilde.Hagen@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 47 45, or Jacob.A.Osnes@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 47 24.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 47, 1998