Conjuntura - Portugal continua a liderar recuperação no mercado das importações relojoeiras

As exportações relojoeiras suíças nos primeiros quatro meses de 2010 aumentaram 15,8 por cento em valor em relação a idêntico período do ano passado, anunciou a Federação Relojoeira helvética.

Portugal continua a surpreender, sendo um dos mercados da Europa ocidental com melhor comportamento - em Maio, as importações lusas de relógios suíços foram 41,2 por cento superiores em valor face a idêntico período de 2009.

Quanto aos primeiros quatro meses, Portugal permanece na 21ª posição entre os principais mercados, com um aumento de 64,2 por cento em valor face ao ano passado.

A Federação Relojoeira diz que, com esta tendência, o sector deverá voltar a crescer em termos anuais, depois da crise do final de 2008 e o afundamento de 2009. No primeiro quarto do ano, as exportações estiveram ainda aquém 13,2 por cento em relação a idêntico período de 2008.

Algumas notas da Federação Relojoeira:

The Swiss watch industry appears to have found its cruising speed in the spring. The value of exports in May grew at a rate close to the average for the first four months of 2010, rising by 13.0% to a level of 1.2 billion francs. This two-digit increase also had a strong positive impact on the moving average over twelve months, which should see a return to growth towards the end of the summer.

Most materials recorded an increase in value. Bimetallic watches contributed greatly to overall growth. They also performed well in volume terms, albeit to a lesser extent than the category of other materials. In May, the sector exported 200,000 more units than last year.

Wristwatches costing between 200 and 500 francs (export price) recorded the biggest increase in May, in excess of 30%. The 0-200 and 500-3,000 francs segments showed a uniform growth rate of just under 10%. Timepieces costing more than 3,000 francs continued to make up for their sluggishness at the beginning of the year. Their value rose by 14.2% and the number of timepieces by 23.7%.

The main markets fared well in May. Hong Kong maintained its strong positive trend, while the United States continued on the path of gradual recovery. France, in third place, and Italy, fifth, recorded only moderate increases, while Germany, in eighth place, lost ground sharply (-24.0%).

Maintaining a consistently dynamic performance, China doubled its May 2009 result. It is currently the third placed market after the first five months of the year. In the wake of strong showings earlier in the year, Singapore returned to a more measured, below-average rate of growth.