BRAZIL - According to data published by the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), Brazil’s industrial furniture production grew by 28.5 percent in June 2018 against the previous month of May.

The segment grew well above the growth figure recorded by all Brazilian industrial production that increased by 13.1 percent in June 2018 compared to May, month affected by the truckers' strike. This was the largest increase in Brazilian industrial production in this historical series, which began recording in 2002.

In the consumer goods category, the growth of the furniture segment (+ 28.5%) was one of those that recorded the highest recovery in the May 2018 / June 2018 comparison. Only surpassed by the automotive industry (+ 47.1%) and beverages (+ 33.6%).

In the January-June 2018 period, the furniture industry grew 5.5 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Exceeding the average of the Brazilian industry that grew 2.3 percent in the same period.

Among the large economic categories, the accumulated results of 2018 showed greater dynamism for durable consumer goods (14.3%) and capital goods (9.5%), driven in large part by the expansion in automobile manufacturing (15.6%) and household appliances in particular “brown goods” (27.9%), in the first one; and capital goods for transportation equipment (18.2%), in the second. The sectors producing intermediate goods (0.9%) and semi and non-durable consumer goods (0.7%) also recorded positive rates in the accumulated yearly index, but with advances below the national average (2.3%).