France Manufacturing Returns to Contraction in October

The S&P Global France Manufacturing PMI fell to 49.3 in October 2026 from 50.6 in September, slipping back into contraction after two months of expansion and reaching an 11-month low, preliminary estimates showed. The reading also came below market expectations of 50.5, as the manufacturing output index declined to 48.5 from 50.3, signaling a renewed contraction in production. Weaker demand and heightened economic uncertainty weighed on activity, while worsening supply-chain conditions drove manufacturing price pressures higher.

The S&P Global France Manufacturing PMI eased to 50.6 in September 2026 from 51.1 in August, surpassing the preliminary estimate of 50.3. Factory production increased for a second straight month, but only marginally as falling demand weighed on output. New orders declined for a fifth consecutive month, although the pace of contraction eased to its slowest in the current downturn, while export orders fell for a ninth month. Purchasing activity and inventories also decreased as firms sought to align stocks with order books and protect cash flow. Employment edged lower after a brief period of growth, while supplier delivery times lengthened sharply amid shortages and disruptions related to the Middle East war. Meanwhile, input costs and output prices rose at faster rates, marking the first acceleration since May, while business confidence remained fragile amid inflation, higher interest rates, overseas competition, and election uncertainty.

The S&P Global France Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.3 in September 2026 from 51.1 in August, marking a second consecutive month of expansion albeit at a softer pace, preliminary estimates showed. The reading also came below market expectations of 50.9, as the manufacturing output index declined to 50.2 from 50.7, indicating only marginal growth in production.