According to preliminary information, last March the Imacec dropped 3.5% compared with the same month a year before.  The seasonally-adjusted series dropped 5.7% with respect to the previous month, and 4.1% in twelve months. The month came with one working day more than March 2019.
 
The mining Imacec rose by 0.8%, while the non-mining index fell by 4.0%, reflecting the impact of the measures adopted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In this context, the hardest hit activities were services and retail. Among services, the drops in education, transportation, and restaurants and hotels stood out. In seasonally-adjusted terms, and with respect to the previous month, the mining and non-mining Imacec fell by 1.6% and 6.1%, respectively.
 
Considering the challenges posed by the sanitary crisis on the garnering of basic data, the Central Bank of Chile has devoted additional efforts jointly with its information providers to minimize the impact on the quality of its statistics. However, it is important to note that the numbers delivered on this occasion may be subject to greater revisions than they have been in the past, which will be disclosed in accordance with the calendar of National Accounts publication and revisions available on www.bcentral.cl.
 
 As per this aforementioned calendar, preliminary GDP results for the first quarter of this year will be published on Monday 18 May.