The turnover of the furniture industry in Bento Gonçalves amounted to R$ 222.4 million in March 2012, representing a nominal increase of 32% over the same period last year. Based on this data, Bento Gonçalves ends the first quarter of 2012 showing an increase of 13.6% in comparison with the first quarter of 2011 (in nominal terms). In Rio Grande do Sul the turnover of the furniture industry grew nominally by 22.32% between March 2012 and March 2011 (R$ 528.9 million). Thus, the reduction shown in the first two months of the year was reverted, and already has a nominal growth of 2.5% in the first quarter of 2012 when compared with the same period in 2011. Furniture exports from Bento Gonçalves totaled US$ 5.08 million in March. The total amount exported in the first quarter was 5% higher than in the same period in 2011. Exports from Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil amounted to US$ 15.9 million and US$ 60.9 million in March, respectively. In accumulated terms, the value of exports fell by 1.2% over the 2011 in Rio Grande do Sul and dropped by 6.4% in Brazil, in the same period. Brazilian imports of furniture totaled US$ 51.4 million in March 2012. The amount accumulated from January to March showed that Brazilian imports of furniture were 1.8% higher than in the same period in 2011. In Rio Grande do Sul, imports grew by 28.5% in the first quarter of 2012 in comparison with the previous year.
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