French inflation reaches 2pc in Mar

PARIS, Apr 13 (Xinhua): France recorded an annualised inflation of 2 per cent in March, up from 1.7 per cent a month ago, mainly buoyed by rising prices of manufactured products, the national statistics bureau said Wednesday. "In March 2011, prices of manufactured products grew strongly," indicating a monthly growth of 1.3 per cent or a 0.4-per cent increase year-on-year. Such rise was mostly due to the end of winter sales, but also contributed by the growth in prices of oil and food products, the agency said. Over the same period, energy prices rose once again by 2.4 per cent compared to in February, and accelerated from 1.1 per cent growth a month earlier; year-on-year, the prices grew by 5.3 per cent. In addition, prices of oil products increased as well.