French output of chemicals and chemicals rose 7.3% month-on-month in October, compared with 6.1% in September, according to new data released Thursday by Insee, the statistics agency.

  Chemical production has almost returned to the water before the coronavirus pandemic - a drop of just 0.2 per cent compared with the month before the first outbreak hit Europe, in February.

  The increase in chemical production was well above the growth in total average manufacturing output, which rose 0.5 per cent in October and 2.3 per cent in September.

Compared with pre-pandemic levels, manufacturing output is still down 5.0 per cent from February and transport equipment is down 14.0 per cent, according to Insee.

  France's industrial output rose 1.6% in October from September, helped by energy and utilities, but was still 3.6% lower than in February.

  Analysts at Oxford Economic Analysis said industrial output rose by a better-than-expected 1.6 per cent in October compared with the previous month, despite "clearly weak" manufacturing growth.