11/29/2007 09h41

Consumption of capital goods raises 17% until October, points out Abimaq

Valor Econômico - 11/29/2007

The consumption of capital goods grew 17.2% until October, compared to 2006, a percentage superior to the increase of the domestic production, according to the estimates released yesterday by the Brazilian Machinery Manufacturers Association (Abimaq). The figures represent the sum of everything produced and everything that was imported concerning machinery and equipment minus the value of what was exported, and that difference went from R$ 49.7 billion (US$ 22.8 billion) to R$ 58.3 billion (US$ 33.5 billion) between 2006 and 2007. The sales of the industries of capital goods, year to date (from January to October), are 10.5% greater than those registered during the same period of 2006, according to the balance sheet released yesterday by Abimaq. In the first ten months of 2007, the sector sold R$ 51.1 billion (US$ 29.4 billion). The percentage of growth achieved by the industries of the sector is more than the double of the increase of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the sum of the wealth produced in the country during the year. Nevertheless, the gain does not satisfy the businesspeople, who ask for tax releases and charges in the foreign exchange policy of the government, in addition to incentives to the technological innovations and the development of specific credit lines for the companies. The data from Abimaq points out that, while the imports have grown 37.1%, exports have increased 23.7%. Until October/2007, Brazil imported nearly R$ 7.2 billion (US$ 4.14 billion) more than it exported - R$ 24.6 billion (US$ 14.14 billion) against R$ 17.4 billion (US$ 10 billion). The difference on the balance of trade is 85% greater than 2006's. The segment with greater increase in sales was that of machinery and equipment for wood, with 46% of growth, followed by the segment of industrial valves, with 34.8%. The worst result was in the segment of plastic articles - increase of 1.3%. Until the end of October, the industries of capital goods generated 226 thousand jobs.