After a downturn in August, Czech industrial production bounced back with a modest 0.4 percent year-on-year increase in September. The recovery was driven by strong performance in metal production, rubber manufacturing, and electrical equipment, with month-on-month output rising by 1.1 percent.

The automotive sector presented a mixed picture during the period. While Škoda Auto’s Mladá Boleslav plant maintained strong output, Hyundai’s facility in Nošovice grappled with shift reductions. Despite car assembly proceeding at a solid pace through scheduled shutdowns, the broader automotive supply chain experienced weakness. “The decline is likely attributable to parts and component suppliers operating within international supply chains,” explained Petr Dufek, chief economist at Banka Creditas.

The automotive industry endured two challenging months, though prospects appear relatively promising moving forward. New orders in the sector surged nearly seven percent following August’s slump, offering hope that the remainder of the year will prove solid for most automotive manufacturers—provided supply chains function as intended and sophisticated component shortages don’t materialize.

Overall, new industrial orders showed encouraging signs, climbing 4.5 percent year-on-year. Foreign orders increased by 5.6 percent, while domestic orders grew 2.7 percent. Month-on-month, total order values jumped nearly ten percent.

“Motor vehicle production, fabricated metal products and metalworking, and computer manufacturing contributed most significantly to the year-on-year growth in new industrial orders in September,” noted Marta Ortová of the Czech Statistical Office. However, statisticians reported declines in certain sectors, including beverage production.