The Brazilian industrial production recorded negative change of 0.2% between August and September 2010 (seasonally adjusted series), and there were negative rates in 9 of the 14 areas surveyed. Rio Grande do Sul (-2.3%), mainly affected by the interruption of petroleum refining and alcohol production, Amazonas (-2.1%), Ceará (-2.0%) and Rio de Janeiro (-1.8%) recorded the most significant falling results between August and September.

Pará, Santa Catarina and Bahia, with decrease of 0.5%, and Pernambuco and São Paulo (both with 0.1%), accounted for the other negative results.

The production of Espírito Santo was stable compared the August result.  With production increase, there were the states of Paraná (5.7%), after fall of 8.5% in the previous month due to a technical stop in the sector of petroleum refining and alcohol production, Goiás (2.3%), Minas Gerais (2.1%) and Northeeast Region (0,2%).

Also considering the seasonally adjusted series, eight of the 14 areas recorded negative results compared to the previous quarter. Pernambuco (-4.8%), Santa Catarina (-4.5%), Paraná (-4.1%), Amazonas (-3.6%), Ceará (-3.3%) and Northeast Region (-2.0%) recorded the biggest decreases, whereas Goiás (4.4%), Rio de Janeiro (2.0%) and Espírito Santo (1.6%) accounted for the most significant increases compared to figures in the second quarter.

Industrial activity grew 6.3% in relation to September last year, with positive results in 12 of the 14 areas surveyed.  The only area with a negative rate was Bahia (0.5%), reflecting, above all the decrease in production of cellulose and paper and automotive vehicles.  The areas with a two-digit increase were Paraná (22.5%), Goiás (14.4%), Minas Gerais (11.8%) and Espírito Santo (10.8%). Pará (9.8%), São Paulo (8.1%) and Ceará (8.0%) also recorded more significant increases than the average of industry (6.3%). Increase above the national figure occurred in the Northeast Region (4.8%), Pernambuco (4.1%), Rio de Janeiro (4.0%), Amazonas (3.3%) and Santa Catarina (0.4%), whereas Rio Grande do Sul (0.0%) remained at the same level as in last year.

In the analysis by quarter, there was increase in all the areas throughout 2010, compared to figures in the previous year.  From the second to the third quarter, there was deceleration of increase, according to the national movement, which changed from 14.3% to 7.9%. This reduced dynamism was most significant in Amazonas (from 24.3% to 9.2%), Espírito Santo (from 30.5% to 16.6%), Pernambuco (from 20.2% to 7.0%), Santa Catarina (from 11.6% to 1.4%) and Paraná (from 26.4% to 16.3%). Compared to the end of the first quarter of 2010, there was deceleration of industrial activity in all the areas.

In terms of the indicator accumulated in the first nine months of the year, compared to the same period in 2009, the 14 areas surveyed recorded increase of production, mainly two-digit increases in Espírito Santo (28.8%), Amazonas (21.1%), Paraná (18.4%), Minas Gerais (18.2%), Goiás (17.7%), Ceará (15.0%) and Pernambuco (14.0%). The areas with a level of increase above the national average (13.1%) were:  São Paulo(12.7%), Northeast Region(12.2%), Bahia (10.9%), Rio de Janeiro (9.3%), Rio Grande do Sul (8.9%), Pará (8.6%) and Santa Catarina (8.3%).

Regional result confirmed the generalized profile of increase in 2010, mainly affected by the bigger dynamism of the automotive industry (cars, trucks and auto pieces), of sectors that produce electric and electronic material (household appliances of the white type and of the brown type) and machinery and equipment, besides activities related to exported commodities (iron ore and steel and iron industry).