In comparison with the result in December 2006, the seasonally adjusted rate interrupted a sequence of three positive results, in a period in which the accumulated growth of the industrial production was 1.8%. In relation to January 2006, the industry grew by 4.5%. The indicator accumulated in the last 12 months (2.9%) was practically the same as in December (2.8%). The performance of industry in the beginning of 2007 points to stabilization of the rhythm of activity.

In comparison with December 2006 (-0.3%), 11 of the 23 categories of industry which have seasonally adjusted series and two of the four categories of use pointed to decrease.

Among the sectors with reduced production, the main highlight was petroleum refining and alcohol production (-4.7%), which interrupted a sequence of two positive results. This means an increase of 6.4% in the comparison December 06/October 06. In January this year, some petroleum refining units had to make technical stops.

Among the industrial segments with increased production from December to January, the leader was machinery and equipment (6.1%), which reached its highest level in the time series, being followed by electric machines, appliances and material (7.4%), metallurgy (2.2%), and other transportation equipment (6.9%).

Still in the comparison January 07/December 06, in the analysis by category of use, the indexes were negative for intermediate goods (-0.3%) and semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods (-0.9%). The reduction observed in the production of intermediate goods came after two months of expansion, in which there was accumulated increase of 2.0%. In the sector of semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods, the fall virtually nullified the rate of 1.0% obtained in December. The reduced production of petroleum derivatives was reflected in these two categories.

The sector of capital goods (1.7%) was the only one to maintain the increase for the third consecutive month, having advanced 11.0% between October 2006 and January this year, whereas durable consumer goods (2.1%) inverted a sequence of two months with falling rates, a period in which there was accumulated loss of 0.5%.

The reduction of the production rhythm in January, after three months of positive rates, did not alter the growing trend of the quarterly moving average index (trend indicator). There was change of 0.2% between January and December; between November and December, there was 0.6% of increase of this indicator. This difference was observed in three of the four categories of use, being led by capital goods (3.5%). Intermediate goods (0.6%) and durable consumer goods (0.5%) had lower rhythm. The segment of semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods (-0.1%) was the only one with negative change.

In comparison with the same period in the previous year, the industrial production of January increased (4.5%) for the seventh consecutive month, with increase of production in 18 of the 27 activities.

The main highlight was the sector of machinery and equipment (18.1%), followed by automotive vehicles (7.8%), office machines and computer equipment (39.7%), food products (5.5%), metallurgy (7.6%) and beverages (13.1%). Of the nine falling subsectors, the main ones were petroleum refining and alcohol production (-5.6%) and electronic material and computer equipment (-13.4%),  influenced, mainly, by the items gasoline and television sets.

Still in comparison with January 2006, the indexes by category of use reflected the leadership of capital goods (18.0%), with higher rhythm than the general industry (4.5%). The subsectors had a high expansion rhythm of machinery and equipment for industrial use (26.8%), for transportation (12.7%) and for mixed use (18.9%). Together, they accounted for 85% of the total for the category. It is worth mentioning that machinery and agricultural equipment (9.4%) had the second consecutive positive result in this type of comparison.

The production of durable consumer goods (4.7%), even under the negative impact of household appliances of the “brown type”¹ (-30.1%), increased again, supported, mainly, by the performance of the segments of the household appliances of the “white type”²(15.4%). The production of automobiles (1.0%) and of cell phones (1.1%) also contributed positively to the performance of the sector.

The sector of semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods grew by 2.6% in comparison with January 2006, stimulated by food products and beverages for domestic consumption (6.7%) and other non-durable consumer goods (3.4%) which, together made up for the negative pressure of the subsecotrs of semi-durable goods and fuels (-6,7).

The increase of 4.5% in the total of industry, in January 2007, was higher than the index of the fourth quarter of 2006 (3.2%) – both in comparison with the same period as in the previous year – a condition which was repeated in nine subsectors surveyed and in three categories of use.

Among the activities, the highlights were other transportation equipment, which changed from 2.7% to 17.7%; electric machines, appliances and equipment (from 0.3% to 10.6%; and machinery and equipment (from 9.0% to 18.1%). By category of use, the gain of rhythm was more intense for capital goods (from 7.8% to 18.0%) with general growth in the following subsectors: capital goods for industrial use (from 16.% to 26.8%), for agricultural use (from -2.2% to 9.4%), for construction (from 0.9% to 11.8%), for electricity (from 0.8% to 16.6%), for transportation (from -1.9% to 12.7%) and capital goods for mixed use (from 16.9% to 18.9%).

The annualized rate, measured by the indicator accumulated in the last 12 months was on a growing trend until November 2006 (3.0%),and was practically stable in December (2.8%) and January (2.9%). The sector of intermediate goods (2.1%) kept the rhythm of the preceding month, and the sector of semi-durable and non-durable consumer goods had slight increase (from 2.7% to 2.9%). The production of durable consumer goods decelerated (from 5.8% to 4.8%), whereas the production of capital goods (6.6%) was the only one with increase of rhythm in comparison with the December rate (5.8%).

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¹Television sets, sound systems and DVD players. 

²Refrigerators, freezers, stoves and washing machines.