On the demand side, manufacturing exports since April continued to be a significant source of growth, with shipments increasing both to the United States and to the rest of the world, of both automotive and non-automotive products.
Although preliminary figures for June suggest that manufacturing exports may have slowed down somewhat, it is too early to conclude that a change has occurred in the ongoing positive trend. Domestic consumption remained robust, as reflected by retail sales during the first five months of the year. Sales growth exhibited by self-service and department stores suggests that this expansion probably continued in June.