In September, factories operated at 54.6% of their installed capacity, making this the sector with the least use of its facilities during the month. Meanwhile, the Wood and Furniture sector experienced a retraction of 0.6% on an annual basis and a growth of 2.8% in the seasonally adjusted month-to-month comparison.
During the same month, industries in general occupied 63.7% of their installed capacity. In contrast, the Paper and Printing industries suffered a contraction of 20.7% at constant prices on an annual basis, being the sector with the greatest decline. These industries operated at 60.1% of their installed capacity.
In the Chemicals and Plastics sector, an annual contraction of 8% was recorded along with a rebound of 5.3% in the month-to-month comparison. Industries in this category operated at 62.2% of their installed capacity. As for Textiles and Clothing, production decreased by 7.3% on an annual basis and by -0.8% compared to August. In the first nine months of the year, it has accumulated a 16% decline.
Overall, companies operated at 59.4% of their installed capacity. However, on a monthly basis, they recorded an increase of 9.1%, positioning themselves as the sector with the greatest recovery compared to August. During the month, firms operated at only 61.6% of their installed capacity.
On the other hand, in the Metal, Machinery, Equipment, and Transportation Material sector, a decrease of 2.6% was observed in September along with a growth of 5.4% in the month-to-month comparison. So far this year, a retraction of 4.6% has been recorded. From January to September, activity decreased by 13.3% compared to the same months of the previous year, accumulating a decline of 21% compared to 2023.
CAME pointed out that this situation is "a consequence of an activity that remains depressed, especially in textiles and clothing, which was at only 54.6%." They warn that sectors like textiles are facing problems paying wages. The industries of SMEs experienced growth of 3.7% in the seasonally adjusted month-to-month comparison in September, but fell by 6.6% on an annual basis, being the lowest decline rate in 10 months according to CAME's survey.
Despite certain monthly rebounds and annual decreases, the SME industry has a retraction of 15.1% in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2023. The main obstacles facing the sector are lack of sales and high production and logistics costs. Companies mainly expect a reduction in taxes and municipal rates, as well as a stimulus to domestic demand.
In the Food and Beverage sector, an annual decline of 8.3% was recorded in September, along with an improvement of 1.9% in the month-to-month comparison.
