The performance of the French manufacturing sector has slightly improved in July, companies in the domestic industry say, as fewer of them registered a fall in their past business activity.

While they are more pessimistic about their future general business activity, more companies than in June are “… more optimistic” about the “general perspectives” of production levels. So says French national statistics association l’Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (INSEE) in a preliminary report monitored by Kallanish.

Order levels in the French manufacturing sector this month remained stable compared to June and less companies as in the previous month registered an increase in finished product inventory. The level of activity in July compared to June in the automotive sector remains stable. However, the level of activity in this sector is still at the low levels seen during recent months, INSEE says.