WELLINGTON, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Manufacturing sales volume in New Zealand fell in the second quarter of this year, while rising commodity prices drove up manufacturing sales values, the government statistics agency announced Tuesday.

The volume of manufacturing sales was down 0.7 percent in the second quarter, after a rise of 1.4 percent in the first quarter, according to Statistics New Zealand.

"The trend for manufacturing sales volume, which gives a longer- term picture of movements, has been fluctuating for several years and is now 7.6 percent below the September 2007 quarter peak," said industry and labor statistics manager, Kathy Connolly.

Falling sales volumes were recorded in nine of the 13 industries, while four rose.

The main contributors to the fall in the volumes were: chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing, which was down 5.4 percent; meat and dairy product manufacturing, which fell 1.2 percent; and petroleum and coal product manufacturing, which was down 2.6 percent.

A 3.1-percent rise in the beverage and tobacco product manufacturing industry and a 5.9-percent rise in the printing industry partly offset the falls.

Rising prices in most manufacturing industries had led to a 2.1- percent rise in the value of sales in the June quarter, with the main contributions from meat and dairy product manufacturing (up 4. 9 percent) and petroleum and coal product manufacturing (up 7.6 percent).

The two industries also contributed strongly to the 14-percent increase in the trend for total sales value since the low point in the September 2009 quarter.

Figures released by Statistics New Zealand Monday showed wholesale trade sales continued their rise in the June quarter, climbing 2.2 percent, or 444 million NZ dollars (362.08 million U. S. dollars).

Source:Xiong Tong