The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) reported this week that in the first four months of the year, industrial production in Mexico fell 0.3 percent in real terms compared with the same period in 2012.
In April, the country's industrial production rose 3.3 percent in real terms compared to the same month of 2012, due to advances in three of the four sectors, plus a greater number of days considering Easter fell in March this year.
In seasonally adjusted terms, industrial production fell 1.67 percent in April compared to March.
Additionally, the manufacturing sector grew 5.6 percent in April due to the increase in the production of most sub-sectors, especially transport equipment.
This was followed by food, chemical, beverage, snuff and paper clothing, computer equipment, communication, measurement and electronic accessories and components and petroleum products and coal.
The construction industry rose 1.2 percent in the reference period, thanks to more projects in civil engineering works or heavy work with specialty construction requirements.
This, the report explains, is because of an increase in demand for building materials such as tubes and iron and steel posts, concrete, paints and coatings, sand and gravel; electrical conduction cables, equipment and apparatus for power distribution; soldering and welding, electronics, and synthetic dyes and pigments, among others.
The INEGI said that electricity, water and gas supply to the final consumer products increased 0.7 percent annually, while mining fell 1.7 percent due to a 3.8 percent drop in non-oil output and 1.2 percent in oil.