In January 2008, the industrial production increased by 1.8% compared to December of the previous year, in the series with seasonal adjustment, after two negative results, period in which it accumulated loss of 2.8 %.  In the comparison with January 2007, there was expansion of 8.5%. The indicator accumulated in the last twelve months increased by 6.3%, showing acceleration compared to 2007 (6.0%).  In the beginning of 2008, the survey of IBGE is showing a scenario of continuity of the industrial growth with a significant result in relation to the beginning of the previous year as well as compared to the month of December.  The rate of 1.8%, registered in January, led the production to the second major level of the time series, surpassed only by the month of October 2007.

The increase observed in the production (1.8%), between December 2007 and January 2008, reached 19 among 27 surveyed segments and three among four categories of use. Among the industries which increased the production, the result of major importance for the overall result came from automotive vehicles (9.0%), showing the strong recovery observed in the manufacturing of automobiles in January.  It is also worth mentioning the positive contributions of food products (3.9%) and other chemical products (5.7%). The main negative results came from electronic material and communication equipment (-11.3%), office machines and computer equipment (-8.0%) and petroleum refining and alcohol production (-1.9%).

Also in the comparison with the previous month, in the analysis by categories of use, the indexes were positive in consumer durable goods (5.4%), intermediate goods (1.3%) and semi and non-durable consumer goods (1.2%), while the production of capital goods (0.0%) was stable for the second consecutive month, after four previous months of positive rates, when it accumulated gain of 8.3%. After two consecutive months of decrease, when there was a loss of 3.2%, the category of consumer durable goods registered in January, its major level in the seasonally adjusted time series.  The same occurred with intermediate goods which, while growing 1.3% for two consecutive months, also reached a record level.  The increase observed in semi and non-durable consumer goods broke two months of negative results, which represented a loss of 1.7%.  

In the comparison January 2008/ January 2007, the manufacturing activity increased 8.5%, registering the nineteenth consecutive positive result, with expansion in 21 among 27 surveyed activities. Automotive vehicles, which increased 23.8%, brought the major influence on the overall rate, influenced positively by the increase in the manufacturing of the major part (88%) of the surveyed products, especially the items: automobiles, trucks, chassis with motors for trucks and buses, and automobile parts.  It is also worth mentioning the increases registered by other chemical products (14.6%), machines and equipment (9.3%), petroleum refining and alcohol production (8.0%) and food products (4.3%).  Among the six groups which had decrease, the main result on the average of industry was observed in office machines and computer equipment (-10.9%), with 80% of the surveyed products showing decrease in this type of comparison. 

The increase of 8.5% in the observed manufacturing activity in January showed, mainly, gain of rhythm compared to the value of 7.9% of the fourth quarter of the previous year. This trend was observed in 18 among 27 surveyed segments and in three among four categories of use.  Among these, it is worth mentioning durable consumer goods, which after increasing by 13.4% in the last quarter of 2007, registered rate of 15.7% in January.  Hike was observed in the items automobiles, which changed from 21.6% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 22.0% in January, and mobile telephones (from 6.4% to 25.2%).  In semi and non-durable consumer goods, the increase changed from 4.1% to 5.5%, and in intermediate goods, from 6.8% to 8.0%.  The production of capital goods was the only one which decelerated the rhythm in the comparison between the two periods, but maintained positive rates considerably above the industrial average: changing from 24.0% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 14.7% in January of this year.  

Also, in the comparison with January 2007, the indexes by categories of use show the leadership of durable consumer goods (15.7%), which together with capital goods (14.7%) continued in a rhythm considerably above the one of the general industry (8.5%).  The production of intermediate goods increased 8.0% due mainly to the groups elaborated industrial inputs (6.4%) and parts and accessories for industrial transportation (18.1%).  The segment of semi and non-durable consumer goods surpassed by 5.5% the level of production of January 2007, supported by the growth in all the sub-sectors, especially for the 5.6% in food products and elaborated beverages for domestic consumption, in which stood out the items: beers, draft beers and soft drinks.

The annualized rate, indicator accumulated in the last twelve months, continued growing: after expansion of 5.5% in November and 6.0% in December, it reached 6.3% in last January.  The sector of durable consumer goods (9.9%) was the last one with clear gain of rhythm in relation to December (9.1%). The other categories had the following results: capital goods (from 19.5% to 19.2%), intermediate goods (from 4.9% to 5.2%) and semi and non-durable consumer goods (from 3.4% to 3.6%).

Additional information about the Monthly Survey of Mining and Manufacturing Physical Production - Brazil may be obtained  in www.ibge.gov.br