Manufacturers’ domestic supply falls for 4th quarter in Q2

Manufacturers' domestic supply in South Korea fell for the fourth consecutive quarter in the second quarter of 2024 amid weak demand, data showed Thursday. The manufacturing domestic supply index stood at 106.8 in the April-June period, down 2.2 percent from the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. The quarterly figure has been on a constant decrease since the third quarter of last year. It marked the first time that the figure fell for four quarters in a row since 2010, when the agency began compiling the relevant data. The index, which measures both locally produced goods and imports, serves as a major indicator of domestic demand trends. Supplies of locally produced goods fell 1.1 percent and imports for domestic use sank 5.2 percent in the second quarter. Domestic demand for consumer goods went down 2.2 percent on-year on dwindling demand, the fifth consecutive quarterly decline. But the supply of capital goods advanced 3.8 percent. That of intermediate goods fell 3.9 percen t on-year, the data showed. By industry, the supply of electronics and communication items tumbled 10.4 percent and domestic auto supply shed 5.7 percent. Chemical products also logged a 3.7 percent decline in supply. But the index for container ships and other transportation equipment soared 23.5 percent on-year in the second quarter. The South Korean economy has been on a recovery track on strong exports, but domestic demand remains weak amid still-high interest rates and inflation. Source : Yonhap News Agency