Passenger car engine oil demand increased 5% to 15,937 tons in March, while for the first quarter it declined 1.5% to 40,686 tons. Sales of engine oils for commercial diesel vehicles rose 8% to 5,962 tons in March, and grew by 9% to 15,619 tons for the first quarter. Automatic transmission oil sales edged up 1% to 962 tons in March and rose 2% at 2,576 tons for the first quarter. Automotive grease demand declined 7% to 488 tons in March and fell 13% to 1,246 tons for the quarter.

Industrial lubricants demand – not including process oils – grew 5% to 17,617 tons in March. The first-quarter demand declined 2% to 45,303 tons.

Hydraulic transmission oil consumption rose 5% to 7,265 tons in March and was up slightly at 18,453 tons for the quarter. Industrial greases demand declined 1% to 1,359 tons in March and was up slightly at 3,918 tons in the quarter. Turbine Oil consumption jumped 33% to 350 tons in March and rose 22% for the quarter at 2,001 tons.

Non-soluble metalworking fluids demand decreased by 3% to 1,526 tons in March and by 13% to 3,808 tons for the first quarter. Soluble metalworking fluids dropped 22% to 1,274 tons in March and fell 28% to 3,199 tons for the quarter.

In March process oil consumption dropped 10% to 6,115 tons and fell 15% to 16,480 tons in the first quarter.

The war in Ukraine and COVID-19 lockdown measures in China continued to have an impact on the French economy in April, the Bank of France said in an update on business conditions in France, based on a survey of 8,500 companies and establishments surveyed between April 27 and May 4.

“At this stage, activity is holding up, while the effects on prices have become more pronounced,” the bank of France said. “These shocks are having contrasting effects across sectors. Industry and construction are being hardest hit by supply challenges and higher prices for raw materials.”