Between March and April of 2012, the regional indexes of the industrial output registered negative rates in... 

Between March and April of 2012, the regional indexes of the industrial output registered negative rates in 12 of the 14 places surveyed by IBGE, in the seasonally adjusted series.

The sharpest drops were registered in Goiás (-7.6%) and in Paraná (-7.0%), which basically eliminated the advances signaled in the previous month (7.7% and 7.3%, respectively). Amazonas (-5.8%), Ceará (-4.7%), Rio de Janeiro (-2.9%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-2.4%) also posted drops far above the national average (-0.2%).  The ohter negative results were seen in the Northeast region (-0.7%), Pernambuco (-0.6%), São Paulo(-0.4%), Bahia (-0.3%), Espírito Santo (-0.2%) and Minas Gerais (-0.1%). On the other hand, Pará (4.3%) and Santa Catarina (0.3%) registered the two positive results of April. 

The complete publication of this survey can be accessed at https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/industria/pimpfregional/.

Compared to results of the same month in the previous year, ten of the 14 areas surveyed recorded production decrease in April 2012. The most significant decreases were those of Amazonas (-11.8%) and Rio de Janeiro (-9.4%), due, mainly, to the negative performance of durable consumer goods, especially in Amazonas, with decrease of the output of motorcycles, air-conditioners, microwave ovens, television sets, watches and in Rio de Janeiro, of automobiles. Espírito Santo (-4.4%), São Paulo (-3.8%) and Ceará (-3.2%) also recorded decrease above the national average (-2.9%). The other negative results were those of Santa Catarina (-2.3%), Rio Grande do Sul (-1.7%), Bahia (-1.4%), Northeast Region (-0.8%) and Minas Gerais (-0.7%). Expansion was significant in Goiás (15.1%), what shows not only the low basis for comparison (in April last year, the decrease of output had been 9.8%), but also the increment of production of medicines in April 2012. Pernambuco (3.9%), Pará (3.0%) and Paraná (2.4%) also recorded increases among the months compared.

The index accumulated in the first four months of 2012 shows reduction of industrial activity in eight of the 14 areas surveyed, with six states recording decrease above the national average (-2.8%). Rio de Janeiro (-7.5%), São Paulo (-5.1%), Santa Catarina (-5.1%), Amazonas (-4.5%), Ceará (-3.7%) and Espírito Santo (-2.9%). Minas Gerais (-1.4%) and Pará (-0.1%) also recorded negative rates in the end of the period of first four months in 2012.  In these areas, the decrease of production was particularly influenced by the reduced production of durable consumer goods (automobiles, motorcycles, air conditioners, television sets, mobile telephones and watches) and capital goods (especially trucks, tractor trucks for trailers and semi-trailers and vehicles for the transportation of goods), besides the smaller production of mining and quarrying sectors (iron ore) and of textiles, apparel, pharmaceuticals and basic metals.  The most significant increases were those of Goiás (17.9%), Paraná (6.2%), Bahia (5.6%) and Pernambuco (5.2%), which reflected the rise of medicines, in the first area; books and printed teaching material, in the second, thermoplastic resins, in the third; and basic metal products and non-metallic minerals, in the last area mentioned.  The Northeast Region (3.2%) and Rio Grande do Sul (1.1%) also recorded positive results. 

There was also increase of the production pace from the last four months of 2011 (-1.8%) to the first four ones of 2012 (-2.88%) at national level, both comparisons versus the same period in the previous year.  This movement was observed in seven of the 14 areas surveyed, with the biggest decreases occurring in Amazonas (from 7.8% to 4.5%), Rio de Janeiro (from -1.8% to -7.5%), Paraná (from 11.6% to 6.2%), Espírito Santo (from 2.0% to 2.9%) and Pará (from 3.5% to 0.1%).  The biggest increases between the two periods were observed in Bahia (from -3.5% to 5.6%), Goiás (from 10.0% to 17.9%) and Northeast Region (from -2.4% to 3.2%).