Manufacturing activity rose in April due to an improvement in new orders.
The BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance of Manufacturing Index lifted to 51.5 in April.
A reading above 50 suggests the sector is expanding.
April's rise followed a drop in March after the Christchurch earthquake.
New orders rose 3.5 points to 52.9.
The Northern region continued to show improvement at 56.7.
While there were some improvements, Central, Canterbury/Westland and Otago/Southland regions remained in decline.
BNZ economist Doug Steel says it is the seventh consecutive month that the index has been above 50.
He says it shows the level of activity is starting to accelerate.
