In September 2020, industrial production grew 2.6% compared to August, in the seasonally adjusted series, after the increases in May (8.7%), June (9.6%), July (8.6%) and August (3.6%). These five months of growth eliminated the loss of 27.1% accumulated between March and April, when industrial production had fallen to the lowest level in the series. Thus, in September 2020, industrial activity in the country is 0.2% above the level of last February, when the pandemic of COVID19 had not yet affected the country's industrial production.

In relation to September 2019, the industry grew 3.4% in September 2020, interrupting ten months of negative results. In the year, the industrial sector accumulated a drop of 7.2% and, in the last twelve months, a decrease of 5.5%, decelerating its fall compared to the previous month (-5.7%).

The 2.6% increase in industrial activity from August to September 2020 had a generalized profile of growth, reaching all major economic categories and most (22) of the 26 sectors surveyed.

Motor vehicle production increases 14.1% compared to August 

Among the activities, the most relevant positive influence was that of motor vehicles, trailers and bodies, which increased 14.1%, driven by the continuity of the return to production after the stoppage due to the pandemic. The sector accumulated an expansion of 1,042.6% in five consecutive months of growth in production, but it is still 12.8% below the level of last February.

Other relevant positive contributions on the total of the industry came from machinery and equipment (12.6%), clothing and accessories (16.5%), leather, travel goods and footwear (17.1%) , food products (1.2%), metallurgy (3.5%), non-metallic mineral products (4.2%), machinery, electrical appliances and materials (5.9%), products pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical products (6.2%), cellulose, paper and paper products (3.7%), computer equipment, electronic and optical products (5.9%), coke, petroleum products and biofuels (1.0%) and rubber and plastic products (3.2%).

On the other hand, among the four activities that showed a reduction in production, extractive industries (-3.7%) marked the main negative impact in this month, interrupting, thus, three months of consecutive positive results, which accumulated an expansion of 18 ,2%.

Among the major economic categories, in relation to August 2020, durable consumer goods, when growing 10.7%, had the highest positive rate and pointed to the fifth consecutive month of expansion in production, accumulating an increase of 520.3% in this period . However, even with these recent positive results, the segment is still 2.8% below last February's level.

The sectors producing capital goods (7.0%), semi and non-durable consumer goods (3.7%) and intermediate goods (1.3%) also registered growth in this month, with all also pointing to expansion for the fifth consecutive month and accumulating gains of 93.2%, 30.7% and 26.9%, respectively.

Moving average advances 4.8% in the quarter ended in September 

Still in the seasonally adjusted series, the quarterly moving average for the total industry increased 4.8% in the quarter ended in September, after also increasing in August (7.1%) and in July (9.0%), when it interrupted the predominantly downward trajectory that began in November 2019.

Among the major economic categories, still in relation to the movement of this index at the margin, durable consumer goods (17.1%) marked the most intense advance in September, after growing 34.4% in August and 60.7% in July, when it stopped the negative behavior present since March 2020.

The sectors producing capital goods (8.8%), intermediate goods (4.5%) and semi and non-durable consumer goods (3.3%) also showed positive rates in September 2020, with the first two advancing for the third consecutive month and accumulating gains of 43.7% and 18.4%, respectively; and the last remaining with the upward trend that started in May 2020.

Industry increased 3.4% compared to September 2019 

In comparison with the same month of 2019, the industrial sector grew 3.4% in September 2020, with positive results in three of the four major economic categories, 17 of 26 branches, 54 of 79 groups and 58.0% of the 805 products surveyed . It is worth mentioning that September 2020 had the same number of working days as the same month in the previous year (21).

Among the activities, the main influences in the total of the industry came from food products (11.1%) and coke, petroleum products and biofuels (7.8%).

Other relevant positive impacts were from the beverage business (13.8%); machinery and equipment (8.1%); computer equipment, electronic and optical products (15.4%); rubber and plastic products (8.6%; machinery, electrical appliances and materials (12.6%); metal products (9.2%); pharmaceutical and chemical products (11.2%) ; other chemical products (3.7%); cellulose, paper and paper products (5.3%); tobacco products (53.8%); wood products (15.1%) and textile products (9.3%).

On the other hand, still in the comparison with September 2019, among the nine activities that showed reduction in production, that of motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (-13.7%) exerted the greatest negative influence in the formation of the industry average, pressured , to a large extent, by the automobile items, tractor-trailer for trailers and semi-trailers, trucks and auto parts.

Other negative contributions came from extractive industries (-4.1%), clothing and accessories manufacturing (-11.6%), printing and recording reproductions (-39.2%), maintenance, repair and installation of machines and equipment (-19.8%) and other transportation equipment (-19.3%).

Among the major economic categories, still compared to September 2019, intermediate goods (5.5%) had the most accentuated advance among the major economic categories. The segments of durable consumer goods (2.2%) and semi and non-durable consumer goods (1.8%) also showed expansion in production, while the capital goods sector (-2.0%) had the only negative rate that month.

The intermediate goods segment grew 5.5% in September, compared to the same month of 2019, after advancing in August (1.9%) and July (1.8%) last, when it interrupted four months of consecutive negative rates in this comparison . This month's result was mainly explained by the advances in food products (20.6%), coke, petroleum products and biofuels (13.1%), non-metallic mineral products (9.5%) , rubber and plastic products (7.4%), other chemicals (4.1%), cellulose, paper and paper products (7.4%), metal products (5.2 %), textile products (11.9%) and machinery and equipment (2.9%).

The negative pressures came from automotive vehicles, trailers and bodies (-15.8%), mining and quarrying (-4.1%) and metallurgy (-2.1%). Still in this economic category, it is also worth mentioning the results noted by the groups of typical inputs for civil construction (10.2%), which pointed to the third consecutive positive rate and the most accentuated since May 2019 (14.4%); and packaging (6.4%), which increased again after five consecutive months of drop in production.

Durable consumer goods, advancing 2.2% in the monthly index of September 2020, interrupted seven months of consecutive negative rates in this type of comparison. The positive impacts came from household appliances in the “brown line” (33.7%) and in the “white line” (31.1%), motorcycles (15.6%) and furniture groups (13.8%) and other household appliances (24.3%). On the other hand, the sector was particularly pressured by the reduction in automobile manufacturing (-14.9%).

The semi and non-durable consumer goods sector advanced 1.8% in September 2020, interrupting eight months of consecutive negative rates in this type of comparison. The positive performance in that month was explained, in large part, by the expansion observed in the group of food and beverages prepared for domestic consumption (4.9%).

The capital goods sector decreased 2.0% in September 2020 compared to the same period last year, the eighth negative result followed in this type of comparison, but the least intense in this sequence. The sector was influenced by the drop observed in the group of capital goods for transportation equipment (-15.0%), influenced mainly by the lower manufacture of airplanes, tractor trucks for trailers and semi-trailers and trucks.

The other negative rates were for mixed-use capital goods (-5.1%) and for electricity (-3.5%). On the other hand, the positive impacts were noted by groups of capital goods for industrial (7.5%), agricultural (18.2%) and construction (6.8%) purposes.

Industrial production decreased 0.6% in the third quarter 

The industrial sector decreased 0.6% in the third quarter of 2020 and remained with the negative behavior present since the last quarter of 2018 (-1.3%), all comparisons against the same period of the previous year. The reduction in the intensity of loss, observed in industrial production from the second (-19.4%) to the third quarter of 2020 (-0.6%) was explained by the gain in pace in the four major economic categories: consumer goods durable goods (from -64.8% to -8.2%), capital goods (from -38.6% to -11.1%), intermediate goods (from -12.6% to 3.1%) and semi and non-durable consumer goods (from -16.6% to -3.1%).

All major economic categories accumulate a decline in the year 

Year-to-date, compared to the same period in 2019, the industrial sector fell 7.2%, with negative results in four of the four major economic categories, 20 of 26 branches, 64 of 79 groups and 68.4% of 805 products surveyed .

Among the activities, motor vehicles, trailers and bodies (-37.0%) exerted the greatest negative influence on the formation of the industry average, influenced, to a large extent, by the items automobiles, trucks, tractor trucks for trailers and semi-trailers, auto parts and vehicles for transporting goods.

It is also worth mentioning the negative contributions of the metallurgy sectors (-12.9%); clothing and accessories (-31.8%; machinery and equipment (-11.9%); leather, travel goods and footwear (-28.5%); other transportation equipment (- 31.2%); extractive industries (-2.3%); non-metallic mineral products (-7.5%); rubber and plastic products (-7.0%); printing and reproduction of recordings (-37.9%); miscellaneous products (-20.3%); maintenance, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (-17.4%); and textile products (-14.0 %).

On the other hand, among the six activities that showed an increase in production, the main influences in the total of the industry were registered by food products (5.8%) and coke, petroleum products and biofuels (4.5%).

Among the major economic categories, the 2020 results showed deceleration for durable consumer goods (-26.7%) and capital goods (-17.9%). The result of Durable consumer goods was influenced by the reduction in the manufacture of automobiles (-42.8%) and that of capital goods, by capital goods for transportation equipment (-32.3%) and for industrial purposes (- 12.0%).

The sectors producing semi and non-durable consumer goods (-7.6%) and intermediate goods (-3.1%) also registered negative rates in the index accumulated in the year.