Rio, November 17, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Industrial production in September grew in 11 of the 12 areas surveyed by the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), compared with September, 2002. Rio de Janeiro was the only state in which production fell, influenced by negative indexes in the chemical, mining, and textile sectors.

Espírito Santo (16.2%), Pernambuco (15.3%), Bahia (9.2%), Rio Grande do Sul (8.4%), São Paulo (5.7%), and the Northeast (5.6%) performed above the national average (4.2%), announced last week by the Institute. Industrial growth also occurred in the South (3.8%), Minas Gerais (2.6%), Santa Catarina (1.8%), Paraná (1.7%), and Ceará.

According to the economist André Macedo, of the IBGE's Industrial Department, activities linked to exports and agroindustry continue to expand. (DAS)