This was the first negative rate in six months, in the seasonally adjusted series. In comparison with April 2006, there was increase of 6.0%, the tenth positive rate in the series without adjustment. Industry accumulated increase of 4.3% in the last four quarters and of 3.3% in the last twelve months.

This was the first negative rate in six months, in the seasonally adjusted series. In comparison with April 2006, there was increase of 6.0%, the tenth positive rate in the series without adjustment. Industry accumulates increase of 4.3% in the last four quarters and of 3.3% in the last twelve months.

In April 2007, IBGE’s Monthly Survey of Industry detected negative rate of 0.1% in the industrial production, compared to March, in the seasonally adjusted series. It was the first negative rate after six months, in a period in which industry accumulated growth of 3.6%. In relation to April 2006, there was hike of 6.0%, the tenth consecutive positive rate in this type of comparison (without seasonal adjustment). This increase highlights the positive results accumulated in the year, with changes from 3.8%, in March, to 4.3%, in April, and from 2.7% to 3.3% in the rate accumulated in the last twelve months.

There was decrease in 11 and increase in 12 of the 23 seasonally-adjusted subsectors

The rate of -0.1%, registered from March to April 2007, results in the balance among the twenty-three subsectors with seasonally adjusted series: there was increase of production in 12 and decrease in 11 of them. In terms of reduction of production, the main impact came from food products (-1.9%), which interrupted a series of five positive results – meaning increase of 4.8% in the comparison March 07/ October 06. Other highlights are the negative contributions from: perfumery articles, soaps and other cleaning products (-5.7%), electronic material and communication equipment (-3.4%) and petroleum refining and alcohol production (-1.2%). On the other hand, other chemical products (2.3%) and beverages (4.3%) were the most significant positive contributions.

Still in comparison with March 2007, there was decrease of production in three of the four categories of use and durable consumer goods (-1.4%) and capital goods (-1.2%) had the most significant decreases. The reduction observed in the production of durable consumer goods came after three months of expansion, in a period in which it accumulated rate of 6.4%. The sector of capital goods had its second consecutive negative result, having accumulated decrease of 1.6% between April and February 2007. The segment of intermediate goods (-0.6%), the most important one in industry, also decreased in comparison with March, after two consecutive positive rates, a period in which it accumulated increment of 2.4%. The sector of semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods, after negative change of 0.4% in March, had the only positive result (0.8%) among the categories of use in April.

With the April result, the quarterly moving average indicator remains on a growing trend, with expansion of 0.6% in comparison with March. In this same comparison, the sectors of durable consumer goods (0.9%), intermediate goods 90.6%), and semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods (0.4%) also advanced from March to April, whereas the production of capital goods 9-0.4%) is the only one which faced decrease.

In relation to April 2006, industry increased 6.0% - the best result since June 2005

In comparison with the same month in the previous year, there was increase of 6.0%; it is the best result since June 2005 (6.4%) and reflects the positive performance of the majority (20) of the twenty seven activities surveyed. It is worth mentioning, however, that in April 2007 there were two business days more than in April 2006. By industrial subsector, the main highlights came from machinery and equipment (20.5%) and automotive vehicles (11.2%), followed by food products (4.9%); metallurgy (7.2%); electric machines, appliances and equipment (14.3%); office machines and computer equipment (23.1%) and beverages (12.2%). In these activities, the main highlights were: microwave ovens and machining centers; automobiles and car parts and pieces; meat and poultry pieces and animal food; carbon-steel ingots, blocks and square bars; transformers and electrical engines, computers and monitors; soft drinks and beer. Among the seven activities with decrease, the major impact on the formation of the overall rate was electronic material and communication equipment (-14.1%), being the highlight the reduced production of mobile telephones and television sets. The fall observed in the industry of wood (8.6%) was the second most significant negative contribution.

In the series without seasonal adjustment, the category of capital goods increased below average

Still in comparison with April 2006, the indexes by category of use confirm the leadership of capital goods (17.4%), with rhythm significantly above the average of industry (6.0%), mainly as a consequence of the two-digit increase in all its subsectors: capital goods for transportation (13.3%), for mixed use (12.8%), for industrial use (23.2%), for electricity (20.6%), for construction (23.3%) and for agriculture (39.4%).

The production of durable consumer goods surpassed the figure obtained in April last year by 5.4%. This result was specifically affected by the performance of automobiles (6.6%) and electronic appliances (9.4%) especially household appliances of the “white type” (16.9%), such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, etc. This result could be higher, if it had not been influenced by the production of mobile telephones (-12.9%) and household appliances of the “brown type” (-14.8%), for example, television sets and DVD players.

The segment of intermediate goods increased by 5.3% and was affected, above all, by elaborate industrial inputs (4.9%), the most important subsector of this category, in which the main highlight were siderurgy products and cement. It is also worth mentioning the favorable performance of basic industrial inputs (11.3%), due to the items iron ore and tobacco. The groups of inputs for construction (7.4%) and packaging (3.4%) also had expansion. On the other hand, the negative pressure is mainly concentrated in the subsector of complex fuels and lubricants (-2.1%), due to the fall of diesel.

Semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods 93.4%) had the smallest increase among the categories of use. They reflect the fall of fuels (0.4%) and the average results of semi-durable (2.6%) and other non-durable goods (2.9%). Elaborate food products and beverages for domestic consumption (7.4%) also indicate more dynamism, having been influenced by the items meat and poultry pieces and soft drinks.

Accumulated hike of 4.3% in twenty subsectors and four categories of use

The increase of 4.3% in the rate accumulated in the year reached twenty subsectors and the four categories of use. In the analysis by activity, machinery and equipment (15.9%) remains as the leader, followed by the positive contributions of automotive vehicles (7.3%); food products (4.9%); metallurgy (8.6%) and office machines and computer equipment (28.7%). On the other hand, among the falling subsectors, electronic material and computer equipment was the main impact on the average of industry; it was followed by pharmaceutical industry (-3.7%) and editing and printing (-2.4%).   

By category of use, still considering the rate accumulated in the year, the results show the dynamism of the sector of capital goods (15.4%), which was influenced by the expansion of all its subsectors. The production of intermediate goods (4.2%) shows rhythm of increase similar to the overall rate of industry (4.3%), being followed by durable consumer goods (3.1%) and semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods (2.0%).

The industrial rhythm in these first few months of 2007 was mainly maintained by the increase of the production of capital goods, especially in the segments of computer science, transportation (trucks and planes) and machinery and equipment for industrial use; by the exporting performance of some sectors which produce commodities; by the increase of the car production, influenced, mainly, by the evolution of internal demand; and by the positive behavior of the sectors which are more deeply connected to the evolution of the salary mass (beverages, food products and construction). On the other hand, as negative contribution can be mentioned: subsectors which may face competition with foreign products, semi-durable goods (footwear and clothing manufacturing) and subsectors those which fell in terms of competitiveness.  

In summary, the industrial activity in April kept the tendency to increase, according to the quarterly moving average, despite the negative change of 0.1% observed from March to April. In the comparisons with equivalent periods in the previous year, the sector continued indicating very positive results: the monthly indicator (6.0%) has had its best result since July 2005. In the analysis of indexes by group of four months, it was observed that in the first four months of the year, industry increased by 4.3%, keeping positive rates since the end of 2003, and with acceleration in relation to the indexes of 2006 (see the graph below).