Recent CNI survey reveals industrial concerns and improvement in access to credit in the 3rd quarter of 2023.
The Brazilian industrial scenario for the third quarter of 2023 reveals persistent challenges. According to recent research Industrial Survey of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), many industrial entrepreneurs continue to signal for the insufficient domestic demand (33,9%), high tax burden (32,6%) and high interest rates (25,3%) as the main obstacles in the way of production.
Variations and trends: keeping an eye on the industrial market
Although these factors are traditionally highlighted as having an impact, this quarter showed a drop of up to 6 percentage points compared to the previous quarter. On the other hand, there was an increase in the percentage of other challenges, such as unfair competition and problems related to high costs or lack of qualified labor.
Marcelo Azevedo, Economic Analysis manager, contextualizes: “Businesspeople were asked to identify up to three main challenges, and these two emerged strongly as the fourth and fifth options.”
Monitoring stocks also brought interesting insights. The indicator for the evolution of stocks of general industrial products rose, reaching 50,8 points, an increase of 0,3 points from August to September. This increase signals that the level of inventories is moving away from what was planned, leading many business owners to contain production and postpone new hiring.
Inequalities in hiring and access to credit
When it comes to jobs, the growth index for the number of employees in the industry was 49,3 points in September 2023. This number, even though it is below ideal, is in line with the historical average for September. However, large companies showed a more robust performance compared to small and medium-sized companies.
In the financial field, the access to credit indicator rose 0,4 points this quarter, reaching 41,2 points. The good news is that this trend indicates a reduction in the perception of difficulty in accessing credit. However, this improvement was especially noticeable in medium-sized companies, while small and large companies experienced a small decline.
Future projections: What to expect from the industry?
Despite variations in the Industrial Survey indicators, businesspeople remain, in general, optimistic for October. However, they exhibit greater caution regarding future demand and acquisition of raw materials.
With this scenario, Brazilian industry continues to search for adaptations, moderate optimism and intelligent strategies to face the challenges and opportunities of the coming months.
Source: Journalism – CNI.
