MEXICO CITY: Mexican industrial output fell 0.1 percent in November from October on a drop in construction, the national statistics agency said on Thursday, and consumer confidence dipped in December amid uncertainty about the future of the NAFTA trade pact.
Concern is growing that US President Donald Trump will soon announce he intends to pull the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. Mexico sends about 80 percent of its exports to the United States.
Mexico's construction fell 1.2 percent from October, based on seasonally adjusted figures. Utilities climbed 5.7 percent, manufacturing rose 0.6 percent, and mining increased by 0.1 percent.
Overall November industrial output fell 1.5 percent year-over-year. Mining dropped 8.5 percent, and construction was down 5.7 percent, based on unadjusted figures.
Mexico's consumer confidence index declined 0.2 percent to 88.4 in December when adjusted for seasonal factors, the statistics agency said.
December's reading on Mexicans' perception of how the economy will perform over the next year declined 1.4 percent from the previous month. However, consumers' willingness to buy a big-ticket item like a TV or washing machine rose 1.3 percent.
Mexico, the United States and Canada will head into more
talks later this month in Montreal to rework NAFTA.
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