The billing of the machinery and equipment industry fell 11.6% in April compared to the same month last year, points out the balance of the Brazilian Association of the Machinery and Equipment Industry (Abimaq). The total monthly revenue was R$ 23.3 billion. In the year, from January to April, the sector accumulates a 6.1% drop in total net revenue compared to the first four months of 2021. 
According to the entity, the fall recorded in the last month cancels out part of the 18.2% growth observed in March. “Despite the fall in the period, the expectation of recovery in revenue in 2022 is maintained, given the good performance of the business”, informed the association. In the last 12 months, the billing balance is positive, with a variation of 8.1%.
The first quarter of 2022 indicates a deceleration in the pace of industrial activity, verified at the end of last year. In Abimaq’s assessment, this is mainly due to sectors linked to household consumption, which continue to have a negative impact on productive investments in certain segments.
From January to April, in the annual comparison, the most intense fall was observed in the sale of machines for consumer goods, -34.1%. The agricultural sectors, on the other hand, maintained their performance, with a positive variation of around 8%.
Exports, in turn, had a “strong recovery” that started in the second quarter of 2021 and are following the same trend this year. In April 2022, the sector exported US$ 899 million in machinery and equipment. The volume is 11% lower than last month, but it is 18.1% higher than the level of April 2021, when US$ 761 million were sold. In the annual comparison, sales to the foreign market accumulate a high of 31.2%.
In the first four months, there was growth in exports to most countries, especially Latin America (32%), the United States (30%), and European countries (27.8%). In the monthly comparison, there was a significant drop (96%) in sales to Russia, a country that is at war with Ukraine. The volume traded rose from US$ 13 million in March to US$ 538 thousand in April.
