São Paulo – Brazilian machinery exports grew 15% in the first four months of last year, according to figures disclosed by the Brazilian Machinery Manufacturers Association (Abimaq) on Wednesday (30). Revenues with shipments totalled US$ 3.9 billion.
In April, there was growth of 11% over the same month in 2011, but reduction of 17% over March. Foreign sales revenues in April were US$ 952 million.
The main products exported in the quarter were equipment for logistics and civil construction, with 26.4% of the total, components for capital goods, with 19.8%, machinery for consumer goods, with 12.5%, and for base industry infrastructure, with 11.7%. The sector that grew most in foreign sales, however, was the seventh in the list, that of machinery for the transformation industry, with growth of 75%, according to Abimaq.
The world’s region that grew most as a destination for capital goods exports was Latin America, which answered to US$ 1.63 billion, followed by Europe, with US$ 1.12 billion, and the United States, with US$ 763 million. Sales to Latin America remained practically stable, those to Europe rose and those to the United States dropped. Europe represented 19.5% of the total.
In the first four months, total revenues of the Brazilian machinery industry reached R$ 25.49 billion (US$ 12.7 billion at current exchange rates), and in April, alone, R$ 6.1 billion (US$ 3 billion). There was growth of 1.6% in revenues in the first four months of this year as against the same period in 2011, but reduction of 5.8% in April as against the same month last year. From March to April there was a 16% drop. Valve production was what grew most, followed by agricultural machinery and custom ordered goods.
*Translated by Mark Ament
