Dearer imports - cheaper exports

Import prices continued to rise in April. From March to April prices increased by 1.5 per cent. The rise was due to the higher price of crude oil in particular, but also to the price rises in machinery and equipment, means of transportation, and fruit, and plants for beverages and spices. In the year to April import prices have risen by 1.9 per cent and from December 1995 by 3.4 per cent. This appears from the Import Price Index of Statistics Finland.

Export prices fell by 0.6 per cent from March to April as the prices of paper and paperboard, and that of pulp decreased. Export prices have risen by 4.5 per cent in a year, whereas from December 1995 they have fallen by 0.4 per cent.

The HWWA index, which measures the dollar prices of raw materials on the world market, rose by 4.9 per cent from March to April. The rise was, as in the previous month, attributable to more expensive energy raw materials. In the year to April the HWWA index rose by 3 per cent.

Changes in producer price indices

Source: Producer Price Indices, April 1996
Further information: Jarmo Ranki, tel. +358 0 1734 3472, or
Anne Forss, tel. +358 0 1734 3469