Brazil: Industrial Production Beats Expectations.

Brazil’s industrial production rose 0.7% in April 2026 from the previous month, beating forecasts of 0.4% following a 0.3% increase in March and marking the fourth consecutive monthly expansion. Growth was broad-based, with 14 of the 25 industrial activities surveyed posting gains. The main positive contributions came from extractive industries (3.1%) and coke, refined petroleum products and biofuels (3.1%), both extending their growth streak to five months. Additional gains were recorded in rubber and plastic products (3.1%), wood products (8.5%), textiles (4.1%), and electrical machinery and equipment (2.2%). On the downside, chemicals fell 3.9%, reversing part of the previous month's 4.5% increase. Other declines were seen in pharmaceuticals (-6.0%), machinery and equipment (-2.9%), motor vehicles (-0.7%), and metallurgy (-1.0%). Compared with April 2025, industrial production increased 2.7%.