French industrial output weaker than expected in December

PARIS (Reuters) - French industrial output came in weaker than expected in December despite the lifting of a coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Wednesday.

Industrial production fell 0.8% in December from November, when it had already fallen 0.8% from the previous month, the INSEE statistics agency said.

That fell short of average expectations in a Reuters poll of economists for an increase of 0.2%, raising the risk that a preliminary reading of fourth-quarter gross domestic product could be revised down.

INSEE reported last month that GDP fell 1.3% in the last quarter, much less than the 4% expected by economists.

The government lifted a second coronavirus lockdown in December, although it left many restrictions in place, mainly affecting retail outlets like cafes and hotels.

Most factories were able to keep operating through the second lockdown with sanitary protocols in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.

INSEE said that industrial production in December was down 4.9% from pre-crisis levels.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas, editing by Larry King)

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