In February 2013, the industrial output declined 2.5% in relation to the immediately previous month, in the seasonally adjusted series, virtually eliminating the expansion of 2.6% registered in January. Compared with the same month of the previous year in the seasonally adjusted series, the industry overall recorded a fall of 3.2% in February 2013, after increasing 5.5% last January. The industrial sector recorded a growth of 1.1% in the first two months of the year. By decreasing 1.9% in February 2013, the annualized rate, cumulative index along the last 12 months, recorded a decline in the pace of fall against December (-2.6%) and January (-2.0%). The complete publication can be accessed on www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/industria/pimpfbr/default.shtm.

15 out of the 27 sectors surveyed reduced the production

The fall of 2.5% in the industrial activity from January to February reached 15 out of the 27 sectors surveyed, highlighted by the negative influence exerted by the sector of motor vehicles, which declined 9.1% this month, eliminating the increase of 6.2% registered last January. Other relevant contributions that negatively influenced the industry overall came from pharmaceuticals (-10.8%), petroleum refining and alcohol production (-5.8%), beverages (-5.2%), food products (-1.3%), furniture (-9.9%), pulp, paper and paper products (-2.0%), and mining and quarrying industries (-1.9%). Except for the last sector, which recorded a cumulative loss of 8.8% in the last two months, the other sectors registered positive figures last January: 0.3%, 5.5%, 1.2%, 0.6%, 10.2% and 0.3%, respectively. The major positive pressures over the industry average came from other transportation equipment (9.6%), machinery and equipment (1.7%), tobacco (36.2%), which recovered part of the loss of 53.7% registered in January, and electrical machinery and apparatus (4.6%).

Among the categories of use, still compared with January, durable consumer goods (-6.8%) recorded the largest fall, eliminating the expansion of 2.9% recorded in the previous month. The production of the segments of semi- and non-durable consumer goods (-2.1%) and of intermediate goods (-1.3%) also declined in February. The former segment interrupted two consecutive months of positive rates, which registered an expansion of 0.9%. The latter eliminated the growth of 1.2% recorded in the previous month. The sector of capital goods (1.6%) registered the only positive figure among the categories of use this month, the second increase in a row in this kind of comparison, with cumulative gain of 10.9% in this period.

Quarterly moving average remains stable

 Still concerning the seasonally adjusted series, the quarterly moving average index repeated the same level as in the previous month (0.0%) in the quarter ended in February 2013. Among the categories of use, still in relation to this index on the margin, the segments of durable consumer goods (-1.5%) and of semi- and non-durable consumer goods (-0.4%) registered negative rates this month, both eliminating the expansion observed last January (0.5% and 0.2%, respectively). The segment of intermediate goods (0.0%) remained stable for the second month in a row against the level in the previous month. By growing 2.9%, the sector producing capital goods recorded the only positive figure and extended the pace of expansion against the index of January (2.2%).

Industry falls 3.2% against February 2012

 Compared with the same month in 2012, industry declined 3.2% in February 2013, showing a widespread profile of negative figures: production dropped in three out of the four categories of use and in 18 out of the 27 activities surveyed. February 2013 (18 days) had one less business day than the same month in the previous year. The major negative impacts were registered in pharmaceuticals (-14.6%), mining and quarrying industries (-9.9%), publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media (-13.0%) and basic metals (-8.9%), pressed by medicines in the first sector; iron ores and crude petroleum oil in the second; magazines, books and papers in the third; and carbon steel ingots, blocks, rods and plates in the last one. Other relevant negative influences came from food products (-3.7%), other chemical products (-3.6%), office machinery and computer equipment (-16.0%), textiles (-11.1%), pulp, paper and paper products (-4.9%), and medical, optical and other equipment (-13.9%). Among the nine activities that recorded increase of production, the major impact was recorded by motor vehicles (6.4%), other transportation equipment (9.6%) and electrical machinery and apparatus (7.8%).

As to the categories of use, still comparing with the same month in the previous year, semi- and non-durable consumer goods (-5.8%) and intermediate goods (-4.4%) registered the most significant negative rates in the monthly index. The performance of the first segment, which recorded the highest fall since January 2009 (-8.6%), was due to the decline in all its groups, highlighted by the drop of 11.5% registered in other non-durable, mainly due to the smaller production of cigarettes, medicines, magazines and books. Other negative figures were recorded in the groups of food products and beverages for domestic consumption (-2.0%), fuels (-4.4%) and semi-durable (-2.2%), pressed, above all, by the decline in the production of bottled beers, draft beers and sodas in the first subsector, automotive gasoline and alcohol in the second, and cotton bath, face and hand towels and dresses in the last one.  The smaller production of intermediate goods (-4.4%), the most significant decrease since September 2009 (-7.1%), was influenced in large extent by the negative figures from products associated with the activities of basic metals (-8.9%), mining and quarrying industries (-9.9%), food products (-14.1%), other chemical products (-4.2%), pulp, paper and paper products (-6.2%), non-metallic minerals (-4.7%) and textiles (-6.8%). The positive influences, however, were registered by petroleum refining and alcohol production (2.4%), rubber and plastic products (3.6%), fabricated metal products (3.1%) and motor vehicles (1.3%). In this category of use, it is also worth mentioning the results coming from the groups of input for civil construction (-3.8%), reverting the increase of 2.7% recorded last January, and from packaging (3.0%), the second positive rate in a row in this type of comparison. 

Durable consumer goods (-2.2%) also registered negative rates in February 2013, though they were less significant than the industry average (-3.2%). In terms of the index in this month, the segment was influenced by the smaller production of mobile telephones (-12.6%), white goods (-4.3%), motorcycles (-15.0%), cars (-0.6%), brown goods (-1.0%) and other house appliances (-1.2%).

By growing 9.1% in February 2013, the sector producing capital goods registered the second positive figure in the monthly index and was particularly influenced by the expansion in the group of capital goods for transportation equipment (20.2%), leveraged by the larger production of planes, towing tractor trucks, vehicles for transportation of goods, trailers and semi-trailers, trucks, and chassis with motor for trucks and buses. It is worth mentioning the positive figures recorded by the groups of capital goods for electric energy (10.7%), for industrial purposes (4.7%) and for agriculture (6.9%). The other subsectors registered a drop in the production: capital goods for construction (-16.9%) and for mixed use (-2.7%).

Cumulative index grows 1.1% in 2013

 As to the cumulative index in 2013, against the same period in the previous year, the industry overall grew 1.1%, encompassing 11 out of the 27 sectors surveyed. By increasing 21.6%, the sector of motor vehicles exerted the highest positive influence, leveraged by the growth in the production of approximately 80% of the products surveyed, highlighted by the larger production of towing tractor trucks, cars, trucks, vehicles for transportation of goods, chassis with motor for trucks and buses, trailers and semi-trailers, and diesel motors for trucks and buses. It was influenced by the low basis for comparison, once the sector declined 27.7% in the cumulative index in the first two months of 2012. Other significant positive influences came from the sectors of petroleum refining and alcohol production (5.8%), other transportation equipment (8.9%), rubber and plastic products (4.6%), beverages (4.2%) and electrical machinery and apparatus (6.4%). Among the 16 activities that recorded production decrease, the major influences were publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media (-10.9%), basic metals (-6.7%), mining and quarrying industries (-3.7%), machinery and equipment (-2.3%), office machinery and computer equipment (-12.5%), tobacco (-40.8%) and textiles (-7.0%).

As to the categories of use, the figures for the first two months of 2013 showed higher dynamism for capital goods (13.3%) and durable consumer goods (4.0%), particularly leveraged by the larger production of capital goods for transportation (towing tractor trucks, planes, trucks, vehicles for transportation of goods, chassis with motor for trucks and buses, and trailers and semi-trailers) in the former segment, and of cars in the latter. It is worth mentioning that both segments were influenced by the low basis for comparison, once they recorded drops of 16.4% and 15.4%, respectively, in the first two months of 2012. On the other hand, the production of intermediate goods registered a negative change of 0.3%, while semi- and non-durable consumer goods declined 1.5% in the cumulative index in the year.