Brazil Industry Registers Marginal September Increase

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Brazilian industrial production increased by 0.5 percent in September in relation to August, according to data from the IBGE (Brazilian Statistical Bureau). In comparison to September of 2015, the survey shows that the contraction in industry was 4.8 percent, the 31st consecutive reduction in this type of comparison.

According to the IBGE, only two of the four economic categories registered expansion in the September index, intermediary goods (+1.2 percent) and durable goods (+1.9 percent).

On the other hand, capital goods (-5.1 percent) registered the most pronounced reduction in the month, its third consecutive negative result. The sector of semi-durable and non-durable goods fell in September 2016 by one percent.

“Among important positive contributions among the 24 sectors analyzed, the highlight goes to food industries (+6.4 percent), mining industries (+2.6 percent), and vehicle production (+4.8 percent),” said the Bureau report issued on Tuesday morning, November 1st.

The main negative contributions were recorded in the sectors of machinery and electrical materials (-8.1 percent), pharmaceutical products (-6.2 percent), non-metallic minerals (-5 percent) and perfumes and hygiene products (-2.7 percent).

In this third quarter of 2016, encompassing the months of July, August and September, industrial production has registered a decline of 5.5 percent, the tenth consecutive negative rate of the industry in the comparison between quarters. The magnitude of decline however was lower than that registered during the period April-June 2016, of -6.6 percent.

Since the beginning of the year, the index has registered an accumulated decrease of 7.8 percent. In annual terms (September 2015 to September 2016), the IBGE registered an accumulated decline in industrial production of 8.8 percent.

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