By Lara Holmes
The increase was driven by the upturn in the sector of electricity, water and gas pipeline supply to the end consumer of 5.5%.
Industrial production in Mexico increased 3.8% in real terms in 2011 compared to last year, when it advanced 6.1%, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
This result it explains, was due to favorable performance in 3 of the 4 sectors of coverage, where electricity, water and gas supply products to the end consumer rose 5.5%, manufacturing 5.1% and construction 4.8%, while mining fell 2.3%.In its report, it indicates that in December 2011 alone, industrial activity showed a variation of 2.8% over the same month in 2010, and a moderation in the pace compared to the advance of 3.3% in November of the year prior.
By economic sector, detailing the production of manufacturing industries grew 3.7% of annual rate, 3.6% in construction and electricity, water and gas pipeline supply to the end consumer was higher by 2.5%, while mining fell 1.3% in December.
It states that the manufacturing sector grew 3.7% in annual rate in the last month of 2011, as a result of increased production in the sub-transport equipment, metal products and food industry, among others.
It notes that the construction industry rose 6.3% in December, by higher building works related to residential and nonresidential buildings as warehouses and industrial plants, commercial, institutional and services buildings, civil engineering or heavy work, and specialty construction work.
This behavior, it exposed, resulted in an increased demand for building materials such as electrically conductive wires, prestressed products, equipment for welding and soldering, paints and coatings, apparatus for electric power distribution, and other reinforced plastic articles, cement and lime, mostly.
As for electricity, water and gas pipeline supply to the final consumer, this concept states that registered an advance of 2.5% in annual rate in December 2011.
In turn, abundant, mining fell 1.3% in the last month of 2011 compared to December 2010 as a result of the combination of a fall in oil production of 3.2% and a rise of 7.5% in the non-oil production.
The INEGI said that based on seasonally adjusted basis, the industrial activity in Mexico grew 0.85% in December 2011 compared to the previous November, its second straight month of increase.
By sector of economic activity, adding that the seasonally adjusted data shows that electricity, water and gas supply to the end consumer products rose 1.44%, 1.22% manufacturing and construction 0.21%, while mining fell 0.26% .
