Producer prices continue to fall in June

All the Statistics Finland producer price indices continued to fall from May to June by 0.1-0.5 per cent. During both May and June this was mostly due to decreases in the prices of raw materials and producer goods. The prices of consumer goods also fell.

The producer prices of manufactured goods fell by 0.5 per cent from May to June. This was due mainly to a decrease in the prices of oil products, paper and paperboard. The drop of close on 0.5 per cent in the wholesale prices was caused by a decrease in the prices of oil products, forestry products and crude oil. The decrease in the export prices was mainly due to the lower prices of paper and paperboard, even though the prices of wood, basic metals and pulp also fell.

The wholesale prices and the producer prices of manufactured goods are now at the same level as in June 1995. In contrast, export prices have risen by almost 2 per cent and import prices by 1.5 per cent since June of last year.

The HWWA index, measuring the dollar prices of raw materials on the world market, fell by 2.8 per cent from May to June. The prices of raw materials for manufactured goods decreased by 5.2 per cent, the prices of raw materials for food and stimulants by 4.6 per cent and the prices of raw material for energy by 1.6 per cent. The HWWA index is now on the level of June 1995.

Year-on-year and monthly changes in producer price indices (%), June 1996

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Source: Producer Price Indices, June 1996
Further information: Jarmo Ranki (90) 1734 3472, Anne Forss (90) 1734 3469