18 January, 2001
Inquiries: Mr Jari Harjunpää +358 9 1734 3472, Ms
Sonja Kuusisto +358 9 1734 3469,
thi.tilastokeskus@stat.fi
Director in charge: Mr Jarmo Hyrkkö
Producer price indices fell in December
According to Statistics Finland, producer price indices went down by 4.4 to 0.7 per cent from November to December. Import prices fell most, by 4.4 per cent. This was mainly attributable to lower prices of crude oil, oil products, chemicals and chemical products. From December 1999, import prices rose by 6.5 per cent. The year-on-year rise was mainly due to higher prices of oil products, chemicals and chemical products, crude oil and natural gas, and vehicles and base metals. The annual average of the import price index rose by 13.1 per cent from 1999 to 2000.
Export prices fell by 0.7 per cent from November to December, primarily due to lower prices of oil products. The fall of the index was curbed by higher prices of pulp, paper and printed matter, and agricultural products. Export prices rose by 8.1 per cent in the year to December.
Wholesale prices declined by 1.5 per cent from November to December. Prices of energy minerals and oil products fell most. In the year to December, wholesale prices rose by 6.0 per cent. The rise was mainly attributable to higher prices of oil products, pulp, paper and paper products, base metals, and chemicals and chemical products. The annual average of the wholesale price index went up by 8.1 per cent from 1999 to 2000.
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Month-on-month and year-on-year changes of Producer
Price Indices in December 2000 and annual average changes |
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|
Indices |
Point figure |
Change, % |
Change, % |
Change, % 1999 - 2000 |
|
Producer price index for manufactured goods |
107.4 |
-0.7 |
6.4 |
7.5 |
|
Export price index |
102.8 |
-0.7 |
8.1 |
7.9 |
|
Import price index |
110.9 |
-4,4 |
6.5 |
13.1 |
|
Basic price index for domestic supply |
109.1 |
-1.6 |
6.1 |
8.3 |
|
Wholesale price index |
109.1 |
-1.5 |
6.0 |
8.1 |
Producer price indices measure the development of commodity prices from enterprises' viewpoint. The basic price index for domestic supply measures the development of prices exclusive of tax of goods used in Finland as they enter the market. The wholesale price index describes the change in the purchase prices of goods used in Finland inclusive of tax. Both these indices contain domestic and imported goods.
The HWWA Index, used to measure the dollar-based world market prices of raw materials, fell by 14.0 per cent from November to December. This fall was mainly caused by the lower world market price of crude oil. From December 1999 to December 2000, the HWWA Index rose by 0.9 per cent. Without the energy group the overall index went down by 3.6 per cent.
Source: Producer Price Indices 2000, December. Statistics Finland