The reduction in electricity rates in production costs was one of the factors responsible for lower growth, since 2011, the indicator Manufacturing Costs, which increased 4.1% last year, below the rise in the prices of industrial products. This difference indicates recovery of the lost profit margin by industry in 2011 and 2012, reports the quarterly indicator Manufacturing Costs study, released on Thursday (13), the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).

The indicator, formed by production costs, working capital and tax, had recorded increases of 6.4% and 6.5% in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The 4.1% increase in 2013 was 1.9 percentage points below the 6% increase in industrial prices, thus improving the profit margin of the industry.

The cost of production - which includes energy costs, personnel and intermediate goods - up 6% on 2012, the lowest increase in the last three years. Contributed to this, especially the reduction of 9.1% of the cost of energy, especially electricity, which fell by 13.5%, although in the last quarter, has increased by 1.2%, reversing the downward trend . The growth in personnel costs, though high, 7.5%, was the lowest since 2010, while the cost of intermediate goods, 6.4%, was also lower than in 2012, when it amounted to 7, 9%.