Between December of 2010 and January of 2011, the regional indexes of the industrial output, in the seasonally adjusted series, increased...

Between December of 2010 and January of 2011, the regional indexes of the industrial output, in the seasonally adjusted series, increased in seven of the fourteen places surveyed. The highlights were from Espírito Santo (9.4%), after accumulating a loss of 6.4% in the last two months, and Paraná (9.0%), which contracted 2.5% in December. The remaining positive rates were observed in the following places: Bahia (2.0%), Ceará (1.4%), Amazonas (0.8%), São Paulo (0.7%) and Northeast region (0.1%). Conversely, Goiás (-4.6%), Pará (-4.1%), Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul (both with –2.3%), Pernambuco (-1.6%), Minas Gerais (-1.2%) and Santa Catarina (-0.4%) recorded a fall in production between December and January.

The overall indicator accumulated in the last twelve months changed from 10.4% in December of 2010 to 9.4% in January of 2011. There were also reductions for that type of indicator in thirteen of the fourteen places. Espírito Santo (from 22.3% to 19.4%), Bahia (from 7.1% to 4.4%), Amazonas (from 16.3% to 13.8%), Ceará (9.1% to 6.9%), Minas Gerais (from 15.0% to 13.2%) and Rio Grande do Sul (from 6.9% to 5.1%) displayed the most considerable drops between December and January. Conversely, Paraná was the only place to show a slight acceleration between both periods, from 14.2% at the end of 2010 to 14.8% in January of 2011.

In the January 2011 / January 2010 comparison, the overall rate was at 2.5%, whereas the regional indexes recorded a growth in seven of the fourteen places surveyed.

Last December, nine of the fourteen places registered an expansion compared with the same month a year ago. In January of 2011, with increases above the national average, the highlights were: Paraná (18.4%), Espírito Santo (9.3%), São Paulo and Pará (both with 3.6%) and Minas Gerais (3.1%). The remaining positive rates were observed in Santa Catarina (2.4%) and Amazonas (0.6%). Conversely, Ceará (-9.5%) and Bahia (-9.4%) registered the most considerable drops, reflecting, respectively, the smallest production in the textile and chemical sectors. Negative results were also registered by the following places: Northeast region (-6.1%), Rio Grande do Sul (-5.5%), Pernambuco (-2.2%), Goiás (-1.0%) and Rio de Janeiro (-0.2%).

The signs of reduction in the productive pace were also evident in the comparison between the last quarter of 2010 and the first month of the year. Both comparisons were relative to the same period of the previous year, when ten of the fourteen places displayed less dynamism, accompanying the movement of the national index, which changed from 3.2% in the fourth quarter a year ago to 2.5% in January of 2011. In that type of comparison, the most significant reductions were in Pará, from 11.5% in the last quarter of 2010 to 3.6% in January, Bahia (from –2.8% to –9.4%), Rio Grande do Sul (from 1.2% to –5.5%) and Rio de Janeiro (from 5.0% to –0.2%). Conversely, Paraná (from 3.5% to 18.4%) recorded the highest increase in the pace between both periods.

In the accumulated indicator in the last twelve months, the positive results reached all the places surveyed. The industries of Espírito Santo (19.4%), Goiás (15.5%), Paraná (14.8%), Amazonas (13.8%) and Minas Gerais (13.2%) continued recording the highest rates, followed by Pernambuco (9.8%), São Paulo (9.2%) and Pará (9.1%), which grew next to the national average (9.4%). In these places, the highlights were capital goods and durable consumer goods, as well as typical exporting sectors, especially the one relative to commodities. The remaining positive results were registered by Rio de Janeiro (7.4%), Ceará (6.9%), Northeast region (6.7%), Santa Catarina (6.0%), Rio Grande do Sul (5.1%) and Bahia (4.4%).