Demand for machines grows 49.9%
Valor Econômico - 04/04/2008
Yesterday, the Brazilian Association of the Industry of Machinery and Equipment (Abimaq) published that the sector's sales in the first two months of 2008 grew 39.8% compared to last year's same period, totaling R$ 10.9 billion (US$ 6.23 billion). The apparent consumption of capital goods also presented a relevant high, 49.9%, vbn which means a volume of R$ 13.6 billion (US$ 7.8 billion). In the first two months of 2007, the apparent consumption was R$ 9 billion (US$ 4.7 billion). In the period, imports reached US$ 3.3 billion (US$ 1.9 billion), with an increase of 66.1% over last year. China was again the country that most expanded its presence in the national market, high of 147.8%, with US$ 364 million sold to the country. Exports, however, had a smaller evolution, 26.8%. In total, national manufacturers of capital goods exported US$ 1.7 billion. Despite the 12.3% fall, the United States continues being the biggest market of Brazilian equipment, US$ 349 million these two months. The disbursements of the Brazilian Economic Development Bank (BNDES) in the first two months of the year were R$ 4.3 billion (US$ 2.5 billion), 50.9% higher than in the same period of 2007. Nearly 63% of the total was destined via Finame, followed by BNDES Automático and the Agricultural Program, both with 15% of the financed total. According to Abimaq's balance, employment in the sector grew 11.3%, whereas it had reduced 1.2% in the same period of 2007. Currently, manufacturers of capital goods employ 233.1 thousand people.