SANTIAGO: Chile's manufacturing output ticked up 0.4% year on year in December, government statistics agency INE said, driven by a rise in food processing, mainly dairy products, and in demand for furniture and fixtures from the retail sector.

Meanwhile the South American country's copper output declined 8.7% to 506,891 tonnes in December, INE said on Friday. Over the year to December, copper production saw an accumulated drop of 0.7% to 5.8 million tons.

In its report, INE highlighted "a decrease in processing and a lower mineral grade in important companies in the sector".

Chile's major copper industry was one of the least affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite restrictions imposed to try to contain the spread of the virus.

Chile's productive sectors have shown green shoots of recovery since Christmas after the blow dealt by the coronavirus. The commercial activity index rose 7.4% in December, while supermarket sales rose 18.1%.

Commerce has been favored by a gradual revival of business activity, by government aid programs and by partial withdrawals of pension fund savings.