The data, culled from the Monthly Industrial Survey, were disclosed by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE). According to the institute, this initial growth rate for 2008 "points to a framework of continued industry expansion, as the result is outstanding, both when compared with the beginning of the previous year and with the month of December".
Also according to the IBGE, the result posted in January this year is the second highest since the historical series was initiated, in 1991, losing only to the result recorded in October 2007, which was 3.4%.
From December 2007 to January 2008, the industrial sector that expanded the most and had the greatest contribution to the overall result was that of automobiles (9.0%), thus reflecting the strong recovery in auto manufacturing that took place in January.
Coffee Exports
Coffee exports in Brazil totaled nearly US$ 340 million in February, an increase of 18.3% compared with the same month last year. The shipped volume was 2,093,782 60-kilogram bags, a 1.7% reduction using the same basis for comparison. The data were disclosed by the Brazilian Coffee Exporter Council (CeCafé).
The International Coffee Organization (ICO), according to the CeCafé, has informed that the Brazilian share in the international coffee market stood at 29.9% in February.
In the first two months this year, shipments amounted to US$ 690 million, 14.4% more than in the first two months of 2007. A total of 4,353,736 bags were exported, representing a 2.7% decrease.
According to the director general at CeCafé, Guilherme Braga, the lower sales volume was the consequence of a smaller crop, and higher earnings were recorded due to the commodity's appreciation in the international market.
The leading export destinations were Germany, the United States, Italy and Belgium, and the majority of production was shipped through the Port of Santos, in the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo.
ABr