France’s lubricant consumption was flat at 44.4 million tons in September, nearly unchanged from the same month last year, Paris-based Professional Lubricants Center reported in data released Nov. 15. Automotive lubricants consumption was also flat, while industrial lubricant consumption decreased 5% and use of process oils jumped.
The country consumed 24,119 metric tons of automotive lubes this September, compared to 24,100 tons the same month a year ago.
Passenger car engine oil demand was up 3% at 13,950 tons, and automatic transmission fluid sales increased 1% to 915 tons. Sales of engine oils for commercial diesel vehicles dropped 17% to 1,114 tons, and automotive grease consumption decreased 3% to 415 tons.
Industrial lubricants demand – not including process oils – fell to 14,325 tons, down from 15,0457 tons.
Hydraulic oil experienced a 5% upswing to 6,215 tons. Within the hydraulic oil category, consumption of non-flammable oils jumped 281% to 995 tons. Sales of standard-viscosity-index oils fell 13% to 1,582 tons, and consumption of high-viscosity-index oils were down 5% at 3,638 tons.
Consumption of industrial greases rose 15% to 1,407 tons.
Among metalworking fluid variants, demand for non-soluble types declined 8% to 1,208 tons, while sales of soluble types fell further, by 34%, to 1,032 tons.
Turbine oil consumption surged 37% to 247 tons, and demand for compressor oils decreased 10% to 166 tons.
Process oils consumption jumped 13% to 5,916 tons.
The Bank of France found in a survey of 8,500 business leaders – conducted from Sept. 28 through Oct. 5 – that supply difficulties eased further slightly in September in both industrial and construction for the fifth consecutive month. However, 49% of business leaders surveyed in industry and 40% of those surveyed in construction still said supply difficulties were putting pressure on their activities.
Finished goods prices began to rise again at the start of September, due in large part to a seasonal catch-up effect after the summer. The balance of opinion on developments in finished good prices over the previous monthly started to rise again in industry, after declining for four consecutive months, the Bank of France noted, which it said reflected increases in raw material and gas and electricity prices.
The bank said the survey results suggested the country’s gross domestic product edged up around 0.25% sequentially in the third quarter, compared to the second quarter.