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INDUSTRY

Brazil's factories are losing steam, and industrial policy is not stopping the slide

Braziian factories are at their lowest capacity since 2020. Photo: Tomaz Silva/EBC

Braziian factories are at their lowest capacity since 2020. Photo: Tomaz Silva/EBC

Brazilian factories are using less of their capacity than at any point since the pandemic. Seasonally adjusted capacity utilization in manufacturing fell to 76.9% in August, according to the National Industry Confederation (CNI), the lowest reading since July 2020. 

Industrial output dropped 0.6% from July, according to IBGE, the government's statistics agency. It was…

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