In February 2019, the national output of industry increased 0.7% over January (seasonally adjusted series), and eliminated the 0.7% decrease observed in the previous month. 

In comparison with February 2018 (series without seasonal adjustment), industry grew by 2.0%, interrupting a sequence of three months with negative rates and with a cumulative decrease of 0.2% in 2019. The cumulative index in 12 months (0.5%) repeated the previous result, but remains on a downward trend since July 2018 (3.3%).

The complete publication of the Monthly Survey of Industry (PIM) is available on the right of the page.

16 of the 26 subsectors surveyed recorded increases in February 

The advance of industrial activity by 0.7%, from January to February 2019, reflects the increase of three of the four major economic categories and 16 of the 26 subsectors surveyed. 

Among the activities, the main positive influences came from motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (6.7%), food products (3.2%) and coke, petroleum products and biofuels (4.3%).  It is also worth mentioning the positive contributions from machinery and equipment (1.7%), beverages (1.1%), pharmaceuticals (1.6%), basic metals (0.6%), pulp, paper and paper products (0.9%) and other transportation equipment (2.8%). 

On the other hand, among the ten subsectors with falling results, the most relevant performance was that of mining and quarrying industry (-14.8%), due to the decrease of output of iron ore following the dam collapse in the Brumadinho area (MG).  Other negative impacts came from the sectors of wearing apparel and accessories (-4.8%), metal products (-2.0%), furniture (-4.1%), tobacco products (-8.5%) and computer, electronic and optical products (-1.5%).

Among the major economic categories, also against January, capital goods (4.6%) and durable consumer goods (3.7%) accounted for the most significant increases in February, due to the increased production of trucks, in the former; and cars, in the latter.   The segment of semi and non-durable consumer goods (0.7%) also recorded increase, after being unchanged for two consecutive months.  The sector of intermediate goods (-0.8%) had the only negative rate and and contributed to the decrease recorded in January 2019 (-0.1%).

Quarterly moving average increases 0.1%

Also in the seasonally adjusted series, the quarterly moving average of industry recorded a slight increase of 0.1% in the quarter ended February, after a negative change  of 0.2% in January.  It is worth mentinoning that the sector of industry has been in a predominatly donward trend since August 2018. 

Among the major economic categories, durable consumer goods (1.3%) had the most significant increase, interrupting the negative behavior since September 2018.  The segment of consumer goods and semi and non-durable goods (0.2%) also increased in February, interrupting a negative series initiated in August last year.  

On the other hand, producers of capital goods (-0.8%) and intermediate goods 
(-0.2%) recorded decreases in the month. The former had the fourth month of decrease in a row; the latter decreased again after two months of poitive rates. 

Industrial output increases against February 2018 

Versus February 2018, the industrial sector increased 2.0%, with positive results in three of the four major economic categories, 17 of the 16 subsectors, 48 of the 79 groups and 53.2% of the 805 products surveyed.  It is worth mentioning that February 2019 (20 days) had two business days more than the same month a year ago (18).

Among the activities, motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (16.4%) accounted for the major positive influence of the industry average, due to the contributions from cars, trucks, trailers and semi-trailers and car pieces. Other positive contributions to the overall figure came from coke, petroleum products and biofuels (6.8%), food products (4.2%), metal products (6.1%), beverages (5.0%), machinery and equipment (3.5%), non-metallic mineral products (4.6%), electrical machinery and apparatus (3.7%), maintenance, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (6.1%) and miscelaneous products (8.0%). 

On the other hand, among the nine activities with decreasing figures, the main contribution was that of mining and quarrying industry (-9.9%), affected by the item iron ore, as a result of the dam collapse in the Brumadinho area (MG). It is also worth mentioning the negative contributions from the subsectors of pulp, paper and paper products (-3.0%), wood products (-7.5%),  basic metals (-1.6%) and computer, electronic and optical products (-3.1%).

Also against the same month in 2018, durable consumer goods (12.2%) and capital goods (7.0%) accounted for the most significant advances among the major economic categories. Producers of semi and non-durable consumer goods (3.2%) increased above the national average (2.0%), whereas intermediate goods (0.4%) accounted for the only negative rate in the month. 

The segment of durable consumer goods grew 12.2%, after recording a decrease for three months. It was the main increase since July 2018 (17.0%). a major contribution was the increased output of cars (18.2%). Also relevant were “white goods” (17.6%), motorcycles (21.5%), other household appliances (11.1%)  and furniture (0.2%). The main negative impact came from “brown goods” (-5.7%), due to the smaller output of television sets. 

The sector of capital goods increased 7.0%, interrupting two months of decrease and recording the biggest hike since October 2018 (10.5%). The segment was mostly influenced by advances in capital goods for transportation equipment (12.6%), mainly due to the bigger production of the items trucks, trailers and semi-trailers and tractor trucks for trailers and semi-trailers. The other positive rates were recorded by capital goods for industrial use (3.6%) and for construction (13.3%). Capital goods for mixed use (-1.4%), for electricity (-2.6%) and for agriculture (-0.5%) accounted for the nagative impacts. 

Semi and non-durable goods increased 3.2% in February and interrupted three months of negative rates, with the highest rate since April 2018 (9.8%). The performance this month resulted from the expansion of food and beverages for domestic consumption (5.5%). It is also worth mentioning the positive results of semi-durable goods (1.3%), non-durable goods (0.9%) and fuels (0.8%).

Intermediate goods also faced a decrease in February 2019, its sixth negative rate in a row, but the lowest in tehe sequence. That result was influenced by the decreases in mining and quarrying industry (-9.9%), pulp, paper and paper products (-4.2%), basic metals (-1.6%), food products (-0.8%) and other chemicals (-0.7%), whereas the positive contributions came from coke, petroleum products and biofuels (8.6%), motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (11.3%), non-metallic mineral products (4.7%), metal products (3.6%), fabric (2.0%), machinery and equipment (1.1%) and rubber products and plastic material (0.5%). It is also worth mentioning the hikes in inputs for civil construction (3.9%) and packages (4.5%).

Industry has a cumulative rate of -0.2% in 2019

In the cumulative index from Janaury to February 2019, against the same period a year ago, industry fell 0.2%, with negative results in one of the four major economic categories, 14 of the 26 subsectors, 39 of the 79 groups and  52.4% of the 805 products surveyed. 

Among the activities, mining and quarrying industry (-4.4%) and pharmaceuticals (-12,3%) accounted for the main negative influences. It is also worth mentioning the negative contributions from computer, electronic and optical products (-6.5%), machinery and equipment (-3.0%), pulp, paper and paper products (-3.4%), basic metals (-2.1%), wood products (-7.9%) and maintenance, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (-4.2%),

Among the 12 activities that recorded increase, the main ones were motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (6.7%) and coke, petroleum products and biofuels (3.8%). Other positive contributions came from metal products (6.6%), beverages (2.9%), non-metallic mineral products (2.7%), miscellaneous products (8.3%) and food products (0.4%).

Among the major economic categories, intermediate goods recorded a decrease (-0.9%) due to a decline in mining and  quarrying industry (-4.4%) and food products (6.1%). On the other hand, the segment of durable consumer goods (3.7%) had the highest result, influenced by the increased production of cars (7.6%). The producers of semi and non-durable goods (0.5%) and of capital goods (0.1%) also increased in terms of cumulative figures in the year.