In October 2017, the national industrial output had a decrease of 0.2% against September, in the seasonally adjusted series. This was the second positive result in a row, accumulating a gain of 0.6% in two months.

In the non-adjusted series, in the comparison with October 2016, the industry grew 5.3%, the sixth positive rate in a row and the highest one since April 2013 (9.8%). Thus, the cumulative index of the year had a high of 1.9%. The cumulative index in the last 12 months advanced 1.5%. It was the second consecutive positive figure and the highest one since March 2014 (2.1%). The complete publication of the survey can be accessed here.

From September to October 15 of the 24 sectors surveyed on the rise

From September to October 2017, there were positive rates in two of the four major economic categories and in 15 of the 24 surveyed sectors. Among the sectors, the main positive influences were pharmaceuticals (20.3%) and beverages (4.8%), both offsetting the negative results recorded in the previous month: -19.7% and -0.7%, respectively. Other positive contributions came from the manufacture of articles of apparel and accessories (4.3%), basic metals (1.6%), machinery and equipment (1.3%) and leather goods, travel goods and footwear (3.8%).

Among the nine segments that reduced production this month, food products (-5.7%) achieved the performance of greater relevance to the global average, eliminating the expansion of 3.7% in September. Other important negative impacts were observed in the sectors of coke, petroleum products and biofuels (-2.6%) and toiletries, soaps, cleaning products and personal hygiene products (-3.2%).

Among the major economic categories, still in comparison with the previous month, semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods, growing by 2.0%, showed the sharpest expansion in October 2017 and interrupted two consecutive months of declining production, during which it accumulated a reduction of 2.8%.

The capital goods segment (1.1%) also grew and kept the positive behavior started in April, when it accumulated an increase of 11.6%. On the other hand, the sectors of durable consumer goods (-2.0%) and intermediate goods (-0.8%) declined in October 2017, with the former interrupting three consecutive months of increase, a period in which it accumulated a gain of 9, 7%; and the latter eliminating the advance of 0.7% registered in the previous month.

Quarterly moving average changed -0.1%

Also in the seasonally adjusted series, the evolution of the quarterly moving average for the general industry showed a slight negative change (-0.1%) in the quarter ended in October 2017 compared to the previous month, interrupting the predominantly positive behavior (-0.4%) seen since May 2017. Among the major economic categories, also in the seasonally-adjusted series, intermediate goods (-0.4%) and semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods (-0.3%) recorded negative results this month, while durable consumer goods (1.3%) and capital goods (0.7%) advanced in October 2017.

Industry grew 5.3% compared to October 2016

In comparison with the same month of the previous year, the industrial sector registered a growth of 5.3% in October 2017, with positive results in all four major economic categories, 22 of the 26 sectors, 61 of the 79 groups and 61.9% of the 805 products surveyed (October 2017 had one more working day than the same month of the previous year).

Among the activities, motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (27.4%) exerted the greatest positive influence on the industry average, driven to a large extent by the higher production of cars, truck-tractors for trailers and semi-trailers, trucks, freight vehicles and auto parts.

Other significant positive contributions came from computer equipment, electronic and optical products (22.0%), mining and quarrying (3.1%), machinery and equipment (8.3%), basic metals (6.5%), rubber and plastic (9.9%), beverages (8.3%), apparel and accessories (11.8%), other chemical products (4.0%), maintenance, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (16.9%), furniture (17.8%), textiles (7.9%) and wood products (8.6%).

On the other hand, in the comparison with October 2016, among the four activities that indicated reduction in production, the main influence on the total result of industry was recorded by coke, petroleum products and biofuels (-1.5%).

Also in the comparison with October 2016, durable consumer goods (17.6%) and capital goods (14.9%) registered, in October 2017, the sharpest advances among the major economic categories. The segments of semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods (4.9%) and intermediate goods (3.1%) also showed positive rates that month, but both grew below the national average (5.3%).

The segment of durable consumer goods showed a 17.6% increase in October 2017, the twelfth consecutive positive rate and slightly higher than the one observed last September (16.2%). In that month, the sector was particularly driven by the growth in car manufacturing (23.7%) and "brown goods" (19.7%). It is also worth mentioning the expansions marked by "white goods" (5.9%), furniture (11.5%), other household appliances (6.6%) and motorcycles (10.2%).

The capital goods sector showed a 14.9% growth in the monthly index for October 2017, the sixth consecutive positive result in this type of comparison and the most intense since December 2016 (16.3%). In the formation of the index, the segment was influenced, to a large extent, by the advance observed in transportation equipment (25.8%). The other positive rates were recorded for capital goods construction (64.9%), for mixed use (25.1%), for industrial use (6.9%) and for electric energy (5.2%). On the other hand, the only negative impact was in the group of agricultural capital goods (-15.1%).

Also in the comparison with the same month of the previous year, the segment of semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods showed a growth of 4.9% in October 2017, the sharpest increase since February 2014 (7.1%). The performance was mostly due to the expansion observed in the groups of food and beverages prepared for household consumption (5.8%) and semi-durable goods (8.9%). The subsectors of fuels (2.2%) and non-durable goods (1.1%) also reported positive results that month.

The intermediate goods segment rose 3.1% in October 2017, with the sixth consecutive positive rate and the highest since last May (3.3%). The result of this month was explained mainly by the advances in the products associated with the activities of motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (19.6%), basic metals (6.5%), mining and quarrying (3.1%), rubber and plastic products (9.9%), other chemical products (3.9%), machinery and equipment (12.7%), non-metallic mineral products (2.4%), pulp, paper and paper products (2.8%), textiles (5.2%) and metal products (1.9%), while negative pressures were registered by food products (-5.7% %) and coke, petroleum products and biofuels (-3.1%). Still in this economic category, it is also worth mentioning the positive results in the groups of typical inputs for civil construction (1.7%) and packaging (7.4%).

Industry advances by 1.9% in January-October 2017

In the cumulative index of 2017, compared to the same period of the previous year, the industrial sector showed expansion of 1.9%, with positive results in the four major economic categories, 18 of the 26 branches, 48 of the 79 groups and 53.8% of the 805 products. Among the activities, motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (16.1%) and mining and quarrying industries (5.8%) exerted the greatest positive influences on the industry average.

Other relevant positive contributions came from computer equipment, electronic and optical products (20.4%), basic metals (2.9%), machinery and equipment (3.1%), rubber and plastic products (5.5%), tobacco products (22.1%), maintenance, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (7.4%), pulp, paper and paper products (2.7%).

On the other hand, among the eight activities that indicated reduction in production, coke, petroleum products and biofuels (-5.1%) was the largest negative contribution to the industry. On the other hand, the negative results came from pharmaceuticals (-7.4%), other transportation equipment (-11.8%), machinery, electrical equipment and materials (-5.4%) and non-metallic mineral products (3.1%).

Among the major economic categories, the profile of the results for the ten months of 2017 showed greater dynamism for durable consumer goods (12.4%) and capital goods (5.6%), driven, to a great extent, by the expansion in car manufacturing (19.6%) and household appliances (10.6%), in the first; and capital goods for transportation equipment (6.7%), for mixed use (17.6%), for construction (36.1%) and for agricultural use (6.7%), in the second. The segments of intermediate goods (0.9%) and semi-durable and non-durable goods (0.7%) also registered positive rates in the cumulative index in the year, but below the national average (1.9%).