Brazilian industrial output up 0.9 percent in December

Brazil's national statistics agency reported Tuesday that Brazil's industrial output rose 0.9 percent in the month of December--the highest rise in the past seven months. This can be attributed to a weak economy and falling interest rates helping the domestic manufacturers. The 0.9 percent was the biggest increase since May 2011 when it rose 1.2 percent. While the increase in output is good news, the production rate decreased 1.2 percent since December 2010.