Industrial outlook for second half

The nation`s major industries are expected to suffer from downward trends in this year`s second half.

According to a survey of about 1,200 local manufacturers in nine major industries released Wednesday by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, eight will likely experience a decline in industrial production in the second half compared to the January-June period.

In particular, the year-on-year growth of consumer electronics production, which is especially vulnerable to economic cycles, was projected to decline from 28.7% in the first half to 7.8% in the second. The telecommunications sector, including mobile phone manufacturing, which has experienced lackluster sales due to a ban on subsidized mobile phone purchases, are also predicted to see a sharp year-on-year decrease in production from 46.7% in the first half to 9.2% in the second. The petrochemical sector was the only industry that was projected to make gains in production, from 4.9% in the first half to 5.3% in the second.