Investment speeds up imports
O Estado de S. Paulo - 02/24/2008
The investments capital goods have speeded up the pace of importation in the last months. Between September and November of last year, the Brazilian importations started growing at a stronger rhythm than in the previous months, from 35% to 40% in relation to the same periods of 2006. After December, the rhythm speeded up even more, reaching 46.9%. This movement, according to a survey made by the Industrial Enterprise Development Institute (Iedi) at the request of the State, is being influenced mainly by the capital goods. The main factor for this trend is the fall of the American Dollar in relation to the Brazilian Real: on Friday, the American currency reached its lowest price in the last eight years. With the foreign exchange at around R$ 1.70, companies from different sectors spend less Reais to have access to the technological innovations that guarantee both productivity increase and efficiency. Based on data provided by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Iedi has calculated the evolution of the purchases from abroad, comparing the average of the importation per business day for each month. In January this year, the importations of the so-called investment goods increased 56.9% in relation to January, 2007, contributing with 26.2% to the increase of the total importations of the Country. Throughout 2007, the figures were more modest. The importations increased 32.7%, compared with 2006, and the contribution of the sector for the increase of the Brazilian importation as a whole was 21.1%. Among the several sectors of activity, the one that increased the most its purchases of capital goods from abroad was the sector of industrial machinery. The importation per business day in this sector grew impressive 74.4% compared to January, 2007. Alone, this item was responsible for 10.6% of the increase of the Brazilian importation in the period. On Friday, Paramount Lansul, one of the main industries of the Brazilian sector of textiles, received 20 machines for making cloth imported from Switzerland, in the total value of US$ 6 million. Until March, seven other machines will arrive from Germany, at a cost of US$ 3 million. In the last two years, the company invested US$ 48 million in the importation of machines.