Dusseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The companies in the processing industry, mining and quarrying in North Rhine-Westphalia produced goods worth 83.3 billion euros in the first quarter of 2022. This means that production in this area was 12.2 billion euros higher than in the first three months of 2021. That corresponds to an increase of 17.2 percent, the State Statistical Office (IT.NRW) in Düsseldorf announced on Tuesday. Compared to the first quarter of 2019, sales increased by 11.6 percent.
At 12.6 billion euros and an increase of 26.7 percent compared to the first quarter of 2021, chemical products were the largest goods department. Metals came second (11.5 billion euros/ 34.0 percent), followed by machines (9.7/ 4.6).
But the auto industry weakened. The statisticians determined the greatest decline for the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts sector. The production value from January to March 2022 was 3.9 billion euros, 4.7 percent lower than in the first quarter of 2021.