Rio - In the first semester of this year, industrial production grew in all 14 areas covered by the Monthly Regional Industrial Survey released today by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Only Rio de Janeiro remained at the same level.

Over the course of the semester (January-June), nine branches were responsible for the cumulative 17.2% increase. The most important positive impact came from electronic material and communications equipment (37.8%) and food and beverages (14.5%). Declines occurred in metallic goods (-8.6%) and machinery and equipment (-3.1%), the latter due to a decrease in the production of air conditioners.

When June, 2004 is compared with June, 2003, the regional indexes were positive in all the areas surveyed. The states of Amazonas and Bahia registered the highest rates: 22.1% and 21.7%, respectively. Using the same basis of comparison, production grew in 10 of the 11 sectors investigated in the study. The most significant advances were found in electronic material and communications equipment (34.5%) and food and beverages (17.8%).

The IBGE informs that this result reflects the increase in production of television sets and cell phones.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Cristiane Ribeiro
Translator: David Silberstein
08/13/2004