Business cycles in the Brazilian industrial activity: An analysis on the time and frequency domain

Abstract This article analyzes the monthly behavior of the industrial production of the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo, in the period from 2002:01 to 2014:12. To this, was used the methodology of common trends and cycles of Vahid and Engle (1993). The tests prove the existence of two common trends and five common cycles. Deviations from the long-term equilibrium in the industrial activity of São Paulo influence the production trajectory of the other states studied, while permanent shocks in Rio Grande do Sul affect only the industrial dynamics of Paraná. To analyze the business cycles, were introduced tools from the spectral analysis, thus obtaining additional information regarding the synchronization of the short-term dynamics. The hypothesis of co-movements between the Paraná and São Paulo cycles was confirmed through frequency domain analysis.