Clear sky looking up. Clouds on the horizon. The Lombard manufacturing continues its growth path, apparently insensitive to the growing complexity of the context. Almost insensitive, because if you look forward, the expectations of entrepreneurs are actually significantly downsizing.
The survey by Unioncamere Lombardia on the second quarter of the year in any case offers a comforting picture, with the industry growing by 1.6% compared to the previous quarter, a small but not yet canceled progress. The annual comparison is solid, with a growth of 7.4%.
Positive data evident in all sectors, starting with fashion-textile clothing, able to achieve the best performances. The only drop for the means of transport, which instead recorded a slowdown of 5.8%.
Signs of weakening, as mentioned, can be seen in prospective terms, with orders slowing down, while maintaining strongly positive values: + 7.8% on the domestic market, + 11% abroad. The abundance of “hay in the farmhouse” is confirmed by the guaranteed production days, almost 81, 15 days beyond the pre-Covid levels and close to the all-time highs. As well as signs of productive strength come once again from the utilization rate of the plants, just below 78%. A
The attention on prices remains high. Energy goods, raw materials and various components record new records, pushing the figure upwards: compared to the second quarter of 2021, the prices of raw materials increased on average by 58.4% for industrial companies and by 80.2% for the artisans. However, supply difficulties are eased and the situation of inventories and materials for production is also improving.