The March 2014 Performance on Manufacturing Industry results have been released by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Australian Industry Group, with a contraction of 47.9 being recorded.
The unstoppable Australian dollar tenaciously maintains strength, actually increasing in value over the preceding period and remaining one of the main concerns for Australian manufacturers.
Margin pressure also continues to exist, evidenced by the selling price sub-index crashing to 39.2 (the lowest ever recorded) and the input costs index still expanding at 67.7, although this is a significant drop of 7.4 from February.
The food and beverage sub-sector remained one of the strongest, with petroleum, coal and chemicals also buoyant.
12 month averages paint a clearer picture of Australian manufacturing overall, with the PMI at 46.8 and exports at 29.5.
A full breakdown of the results can be accessed by clicking this link… PMI March 2014
