OREANDA-NEWSThe business activity index (PMI) of the manufacturing sectors of the Russian Federation in April 2020 collapsed to the level of 31.3 points against 47.5 points a month earlier. According to a study by the IHS Markit analytical agency, the rate of decline has been the highest since 1997.

IHS Markit added that the number of new orders, as well as export sales, fell at an unprecedented pace. The decrease in total sales was due to the difficult conditions of internal and external demand in the context of the spread of coronavirus infection in Europe.

The study emphasizes that the depreciation of the ruble caused an increase in import prices for raw materials. At the same time, manufacturers partially leveled out costs by significantly increasing selling prices for products. The number of jobs in the manufacturing sector in April declined at the fastest pace since 2009.