SP industry foresees 13% higher production this year
Valor Econômico
The Index that shows the Level of Activity (INA, in Portuguese), which measures the performance of the São Paulo transformation industry should grow 13% in 2010, according to an estimate made by the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), responsible for the index. Paulo Francini, Director of the Department of Researches and Economic Studies of the entity, says the projection takes into account the perspectives of growth of the Brazilian economy, mainly for the industry, and the still large room for recovery.
In January, the INA increased 0.4% compared to the previous month, seasonal adjustments considered. Without the adjustment, the activity of the transformation industry fell 4.5%. "The performance is in line with that registered in the same period in previous years. It brings no surprises on the trajectory that we are going through", said Francini. Compared to the same period of 2009, the index had an 18% increase, a reflex of the low basis of comparison of last year, when the sector suffered losses resulting from the world financial crisis. It is the best performance since 2001 compared with the same month of the previous year. In the past 12 months the INA fell 6.2%.
Among the industrial sectors, the Fiesp drew attention to the 9% fall on foods and beverages, in the series without the seasonal adjustment. According to Francini, the data was affected by the adverse weather conditions, generated by the increase of rainfall at the beginning of the year. Francini also highlighted two sectors that are at the stage of recovery. The steel sector presented growth of 2% last month and 11.3% compared to January 2009. The sector of machinery and equipment, on its turn, fell 6.9% in the comparison between January and December. In relation to January 2009, however, there was a significant high of 28.1%. According to Francini, this number indicates the investments in the segment are being strongly resumed.
In January, the Nuci (level of use of the installed capacity) of the transformation industry of São Paulo, with the adjustment, was at 81.7%, below last December's 82.4%, but above January 2009's 78.8%. The real sales of the industry registered a decrease of 21.2% in January compared to December, without considering the seasonal adjustment. Compared to the first month of 2009, the sales declined 0.4%. The total paid salaries fell 5.5% in January in relation to December, unadjusted.