Slovakia's industrial output growth accelerated to 2.2% y/y in April 2013 from a revised 1.3% in March, as car production showed some recovery, the country's statistics office said. The output of the industry’s main growth driver, the auto manufacturing sector, grew 4.7% y/y in April, speeding from a 2.7% rise in the previous month.

Auto manufacturing is the major driving force of the Slovak economy, with the country being home to three big car assembling plants run by Germany's Volkswagen, South Korea's Kia Motors and France's PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Another engine of Slovakia's economy, electronics production at plants run by South Korea's Samsung and Taiwan's Foxconn, grew 1.5% y/y in April, slowing from a 3.1% annual rise in March.

On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, Slovakia's industrial output fell by 1.9% m/m in April, following a 0.3% m/m growth in the previous month.

For the first four months of the year, the industrial production increased by 2.7% y/y.

IntelliNews comment: Despite the slight recovery, Slovakia’s industrial output growth has remained significantly below its last year levels. We anticipate industrial production to remain subdued in the near term in line with muted demand from the eurozone, which is Slovakia’s main trading partner. Moreover, car production, which jumped by 26% last year, is expected to be mostly flat this year, as no new capacities are planned to be launched. Slovakia’s export-driven economy is expected to expand by less than 1% this year, slowing from a 2% growth in 2012.