Anuário da Indústria de Implementos Rodoviários 2019

26 The implement industry grew again last year and started 2019 even better. Can we say that this growth is sustainable? I believe it is better for now to talk about recovery. After all, we are still in a period whose basis of comparison is recessionary. The Brazilian market grew by 49% in 2018 and closed the first two months of this year up by 54% in the vehicle registrations on the same period last year. But we must keep in mind that the first months of 2018 were very weak, we were at the bottom of the well. Only as of April and May did we begin to recover. Of course, that index will change in the second half. But what is the sector’s forecast for 2019? I’m sure it will be a positive year, though not at the rates I mentioned earlier. Even so, we believe in a double-digit increase in vehicles registrations. Between 10% and 15% .We are talking about 99,000 to 104,000 units, compared with 90,100 units last year. Should production follow this domestic market growth, as is usual for the sector? Yes, it will follow exactly that level but with the possibility of growing by 1% or 2% more. We are calculating the production of 104,000 to 109,000 units, 76,000 of them being in the heavy segment. And exports? This forecast considers approximately 5,000 units that we expect to be exported. Exports should grow by more - around 20% - as last year we reached 4,100 units, also 20% up on 2017. We have a very large prospective market out there, in South America or, a little further afield, in Africa. Exporting is a path that companies in the sector - especially smaller ones - are beginning to find out about. Will sales growth be similar in the light and heavy implement segments? Performance in the first two months was particularly good for heavy implements, as it was last year. To give you an idea, while sales of bodies on chassis grew by 32% in the first two months of this year, semi-trailers rocketed by no less than 72%. At the end of the year, I believe, this difference will be much smaller. Recovery for both segments will be similar. Why this faster pace for semi-trailers? We know H e now assures us that after the crisis that slashed sales, production and business between 2014 and 2017, he says the implements industry will go through a period of calm over the next few years, with a gradual recovery of business. Fabris prefers to use precisely the word ‘recovery’ - rather than growth - as despite the noticeable improvement last year and in the first quarter of 2019, there is still a long way for the sector to go before reaching a level he considers normal for transport and the Brazilian economy. Anyway, in the opinion of the president of ANFIR, the path will be much less rocky and implement manufacturers will be able to deal with any problems after the lessons learned. “The desire is obviously to grow, but with your feet on the ground, stepping on solid ground, no longer on quicksand,” he says. You took over at a better time than Alcides Braga, whose second term was in the midst of the recession. What do you imagine will mark your time in the position? Let’s say I seem luckier than Alcides (laughs). But, seriously, I believe that Brazil is taking a very different turn, and this creates optimism in the business class. We no longer talk about negative GDP, even if it is far from what we need it - very far - but it is at least positive. As the government develops a plan, I believe we will grow more. I think this three- year period of my management will be better than the previous four years, which were dominated by the deepening crisis. Norberto Fabris completed his first year as the president of ANFIR in April 2019.He has, however, 45 years’ experience in the implements industry which, in itself, gives him enough authority to talk about any subject that involves the sector. The sector is ready, with its feet on the ground ENTREVISTA | INTERVIEW | ENTREVISTA