In May 2010, industrial production remained at the same level as in April (0.0%), after having interrupted a sequence of positive results which had started in December 2009...

In May 2010, industrial production remained at the same level as in April (0.0%), after having interrupted a sequence of positive results which started in December 2009, in the seasonally adjusted series, in April (-0.8%). Compared to May 2009, there was increase of 14.8%. As a result, the indicator accumulated between January and May 2010 recorded a two-digit increase (17.3%). The index accumulated in the last 12 months (4.5%) was the highest result since November 2008 (4.8%), and increased 2.2 percentage points compared to the April figure (2.3%).

In May, 16 activities recorded increase in production

Between April and May, there was increase of industrial production of 16 activities and decrease in 11others. Among the positive rates, the main contributions came from beverages (+4.8%), electronic material and communication equipment (+6.1%), automotive vehicles (+1.4%), office material and computer (+5.7%), non-metallic minerals (+1.9%) and cellulose and paper (+1.7%). On the other hand, the main negative contributions came from petroleum refining and alcohol production (-4.6%), affected by the interruption of work for technical purposes as programmed in refineries of this subsector; food products (-1.7%), after having accumulated increase of 8.3%, in the last four months: pharmaceutical products (-4.6%) and metal products (-3.0%). 

Also compared to April, the sector of capital goods (+1.2%) had a better rhythm of increase and reached more positive rates (14 months), with a total 42.5% increase in this period. The subsector of intermediate goods and durable consumer goods had almost the same level as in the previous month, with positive change of 0.1%. The subsector of semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods, with decrease of 0.9%, recorded, for the second consecutive month – a 2.2% loss in the period.

The quarterly moving average index (+0.8%) had lower rhythm of increase compared to figures in March (+2.0%) and April (+1.3%), and has remained on an upward trend as started in March 2009. Capital goods (+2.6%) had the biggest increase between April and May, and remained on a sequence of positive rates which started in June de 2009; it was followed by intermediate goods (+0.8%) and durable consumer goods (+0.2%). On the other hand, semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods recorded the only negative result (-0.3%), interrupting a sequence of eight months with increase of this indicator.

In this indicator, most of (23) of the 27 activities surveyed recorded increase in production. The ones accounting for the biggest impacts on the overall rate were, in order of relevance: automotive vehicles (+29.0%), machinery and equipment (+39.1%), metallurgy (+29.5%), metal products (+33.1%), mining and quarrying industry (+15.7%), food products (+6.7%) and other chemical products (+12.8%). In these subsectors, the products responsible for the main contributions were, respectively: automobiles, tractor trucks and trucks; refrigerators, transporting machines and compressors; carbon-steel ingots, blocks and billets and carbon steel cold bobbins and paints and varnishes for construction.

Among the four activities with decrease in this comparison, pharmaceutical (-4.5%) and tobacco (-9.2%) were the most relevant items negatively affecting the monthly rate.

Among the categories of use, also versus May, capita goods had the most significant increase (+38.5%), supported by the increases in the production of capital goods for electricity (with decrease of 0.8%). The positive highlights were capital goods for transportation (+34.2%) and for mixed use (+46.7%), mainly due to the items tractor-trucks and trucks, in the former; and telephony equipment and computer products, in the latter, followed by capital goods for construction (+154.7%), for industrial use (+33.6%) and agriculture (+51.2%).

Intermediate goods recorded increase of 15.8% compared to May 2009, positively affected by the performance of all its subsectors, mainly products from metallurgy (+29.5%), mining and quarrying industry (+15.7%), automotive vehicles (+30.3%), other chemical products (+12.7%), meta products (+40.3%) and rubber and plastic (+23.1%). These subsectors have been affected mainly by the items carbon-steel ingots, blocks and billets; iron ores; chassis for trucks and buses; herbicides; parts and pieces for capital good; and tires. The increases observed in inputs for construction (+18.4%) and packages (+18.0%) were other highlights.

The production of durable consumer goods increased 15.4%, being mainly affected by a bigger production of household appliances (+36.4%), of either the “brown” (+91,8%) or “white” type (+20.9%); and of automobiles (+12.0%). On the other hand, there was decrease in the item mobile telephones (-11.9%), an inverted figure after four consecutive months with increase in this type of comparison.

Also compared to figures in May 2009, semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods (+5.1%) accounted for the most moderate increase among the categories of use, with elaborated food products and beverages for domestic use (+8.5%), semi-durable goods (+14.4%) and other non-durable goods (+1.8%) generating positive impacts, affected by the items beer, draft beer and soft drinks, in the former; leather footwear, in the second; and medicines and magazines in the third one. The only negative contribution came from fuels (-3.4%), mainly due to the reduced production of gasoline.

Index accumulated in 2010 was higher for 78% of the products surveyed

The index accumulated between January and March 2010, compared to that of last year, recorded increase of 17.3% in the overall index, with increase in 25 subsectors and about 78%of the products surveyed. Automotive vehicles (+34.7%) remained as the main positive contribution to the overall rate, due to increase in 96% of the products investigated in the subsector; it was followed by machinery and equipment (+42.5%), metallurgy (+33.1%) and other chemical products (+22.1%). Considering products, the highlights were automobiles, tractor-trucks and trucks; refrigerators, microwave ovens, transporting machines and compressors; carbon-steel ingots, blocks and billets and carbon steel cold bobbins; and herbicide sand paints and varnishes for construction. The two sectors presenting negative result in the overall rate were other transportation equipment (-7.3%) and tobacco (-11.4%).

In the same comparison, capital goods (+30.6%) recorded the highest positive rate, followed by durable consumer goods (+23.8%) and intermediate goods (+18.5%), all of them with results above the national average (+17.3%). On the other hand, the subsector semi durable and durable consumer goods (+7.8%) recorded moderate increase.