The manufacturing sector in France has approached the “acquisition” in May, the PMI index that measures its activity after having continued its recovery, according to the data published on Monday by S&P Global and the Commercial Bank of Hamburg (HCOB).
The PMI index was launched to 49.8 in May, after 48.7 in April, remaining just below the 50 -to -distinguishing thresholds of contraction and expansion of the activity.
This index has been in the contraction zone since February 2023, but “the trend could be reversed soon” because it has been recovered since the beginning of 2025, said Jonas Feldhusen, Hcob economist.
“Regarding demand and production, one may ask if the trends have not yet reached a turning point. The survey shows obvious recovery signs: production has increased for a second consecutive month and the general volume of new orders approached the expansion zone,” he added in a press release.
Increased optimism
“The current uncertainty generated by world commercial conflicts (…) continues to weaken the activity and run the risk of weighing the performance of the sector in the coming months,” he developed.
“On the other hand, the plans to rearma in Europe, the softening of the monetary policy of the ECB and the EU efforts to reduce the weight of the regulations could make it possible to compensate for the effects of these commercial restrictions.”
Despite a request that has been low in May and a fall in the sale of prices to stimulate it, production increased for the second consecutive month, especially in consumer and intermediaries, and the workforce has been recorded, after two consecutive years of contraction.
In this context, the approximately 400 questioned French manufacturers show greater optimism, which has been higher since February 2022, in terms of their activities activities for the next twelve months.
Source: BFM TV
