Export price increases accelerated slightly in February

According to Statistics Finland, export prices increased by 2.2 per cent in the year to February. That is half a percentage point more than in the previous month. In contrast, increases of other producer prices slowed down.

The year-on-year increase in export prices was due to higher prices of pulp, paper, paper products, base metals, timber, and machinery and equipment. From January to February export prices rose by 0.2 per cent, mainly because of higher prices of paper and paper products.

Import prices went down by 0.2. per cent in the year to February. The fall was especially due to lower prices of energy products and electrical equipment. In comparison, rising prices of agricultural and forestry products, transport equipment, as well as machinery and equipment restrained the fall of the import price index. From January to February import prices fell by half a per cent, due to lower prices of oil products and crude oil.

Producer prices for manufactured goods, or producer prices for goods intended for home sales, went up by 0.2 per cent in the year. From January to February producer prices for manufactured goods fell by 0.4 per cent, due to lower prices of electrical equipment, pulp and oil products.

Prices for domestic supply, i.e. prices measured by the basic price index for domestic supply, went up by 0.4 per cent in the year. From January to February the index fell by 0.4 per cent.

Wholesale prices rose by half a per cent in the year. From January to February wholesale prices fell by 0.3 per cent.

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Monthly and annual changes in producer price indices, February 1998, %
Indices	1/98 - 2/98	2/97 - 2/98
Producer price index, home sales	-0.4	0.2
Export price index	0.2	2.2
Import price index	-0.5	-0.2
Basic price index for domestic supply	-0.4	0.4
Wholesale price index	-0.3	0.5

Source: Producer Price Indices 1998, February. Statistics Finland