SP industry grows 1.1% in February
Valor Econômico
The activity of the industry of São Paulo is approaching the pre-crisis levels and should get to it in May, according to a survey of the Fiesp (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo). The data indicates that in February this year the Index that shows the Level of Activity (INA) still registered a 2.6% fall compared to September 2008, month that marked the worsening of the global crisis.
Among the 17 sectors surveyed by the Fiesp, six have already returned to the levels of activity registered before the crisis. The industry of foods and beverages stands out, with growth of 12.5% compared to September 2008. The manufacturing of other transport equipment comes next, with 11.8%, followed by the sector of chemical products (10.4%). At the other end, standing out for the negative performance, are editing, printing and recordings (-12.5%) and machinery and equipment (-8.6%).
The industrial activity of the State of São Paulo registered growth of 1.1% in February compared to January, in the series with seasonal adjustment, the greatest increase since October 2008. In the first two months this year, the index accumulates a 15.4% increase compared to 2010.
The forecast of the Fiesp is that the activity ends 2010 with 13.5% growth compared to past year. The Director of the Department of Researches and Economic Studies of the Fiesp, Paulo Francini, affirmed that one of the positive contributions this year will be the external sector. He projects an increase of 21% in the exports of the products made by the Brazilian industry - in 2009, there was a decrease of 27%. "If the external activity was a negative effect in 2009, it will be positive in 2010, since the industry will have to increase more the production in order to supply the domestic market, that is already heated, and the external market".
Francini associated the fall in the use of the installed capacity of the industry in February - 78.9% in January to 78.5% - to the increase of the industrial parks and to increase of the productivity of the companies.