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French factory production endures steepest fall since January
France's manufacturing sector continued to experience challenging conditions as the final quarter of 2024 got underway, latest HCOB PMI® survey data showed. An accelerated decline in new orders, in part driven by a substantial weakening in demand from abroad, led production volumes to fall at the quickest pace since January. Retrenchment was seen across the board, with employment, purchasing activity, as well as pre- and post-production inventories all decreasing. Furthermore, survey respondents anticipate the contraction trend to continue, with future output expectations at their most pessimistic in a year. The ... (full story)