RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazilian industrial production rose by 0.7% from January to February this year. This increase only offset part of the 2.2% loss recorded between December and January. Data from the monthly industrial survey were released today (1) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
According to the survey, the industry also registered an increase of 0.4% in the quarter and 2.8% in the last 12 months. However, compared to February last year, there is a decrease of 4.3%. There is also a loss of 5.8% for the current year.
The increase from January to February affected 16 of the 26 industries surveyed by IBGE, with the extractive industries (5.3%) and the food industry (2.4%) standing out.
The mining sector recorded a significant decline in January, as heavier rains in Minas Gerais hindered iron ore production that month. With the normalization of rains, there was a normalization of production.
“The food sector recorded its fourth positive month of growth, increasing 14% during the period. In February, the highlights were the production of sugar and meat and poultry, two important groups within the food sector,” said IBGE researcher André Macedo.
Other significant increases were in pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical products (12.7%), motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (3.2%), metallurgy (3.3%), and beverages (4.1%).
On the other hand, ten industries suffered losses from January to February, including coke, petroleum products, biofuels (-1.8%), and pulp, paper, and paper products (-3.4%), which had the most significant impact in February.
The four main industrial sectors grew during the period, particularly capital goods, i.e., machinery and equipment used in the manufacturing industry (1.9%).
Intermediate goods, i.e., industrial inputs used in the production sector, increased by 1.6%. Among consumer goods, semi-finished and nondurable goods grew by 1.5% and durable consumer goods by 0.5%.