Industry gives signs of resumption of investments
O Estado de S. Paulo
The Brazilian industry it getting ready to speed up again. For the first time since the outbreak of the global financial crisis, exactly a year ago, the machinery manufacturers have registered an increase in the inquiries from industries interested in buying more modern equipment. "We were living in stagnation until July, but in August the situation changed", affirms the secretary of the Brazilian Machinery Manufacturers Association (Abimaq), Carlos Pastoriza. In the last two months, 35 thousand people accessed the site of the entity in order to get information on the financing for the purchase of machines. It is almost the same number registered throughout 2008, which had 37 thousand accesses.
The recovery, which is starting to be felt now, will not prevent the industry from closing the year with a great fall compared to 2008. The projections are of a retraction between 7% and 9%, while there is almost a consensus that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) should close the year with a small growth. For 2010, however, there are already projections of growth of up to 12.5%, for a GDP with an increase of nearly 5%. The current setting change is clear in terms of heavy machinery, like lathes and presses, used by car makers, manufacturers of home appliances and equipment for the oil segment. The increase in the requests for estimates for the acquisition of equipment also takes place in the sectors of sanitation and textiles.
The renewal of the machines, unleashed by the heating of the economy and by the easiness of access to credit offered by the National Development Bank (BNDES) since July, is the first sign the investment is slowly starting to get back and that it may change the path of the fall registered in the first half. But the stronger investments, in new plants, for instance, are really only expected for next year.