18 May, 1998
Inquiries: Mr Jarmo Ranki + 358 9 1734 3472
Statistical Director in charge: Mr Jarmo Hyrkkö
Export prices up by close on one per cent in the year
According to Statistics Finland, export prices went down by 1.0 per cent from March to April. This was due to 5.6 per cent lower prices of electrical equipment.
Export prices went up by 0.7 per cent in the year to April. The increase was due to higher prices of paper and board and base metals. The rise of the export price index was curbed by lower prices of electrical equipment in comparison with the previous year, too.
Import prices went up by 0.4 per cent from March to April. The rise was due to higher prices of crude oil and metal ore.
Import prices rose by only 0.1 per cent in the year to April. The import prices of energy products went down by nearly ten per cent in the year. In contrast, the import prices of investment goods went up by 1.5 per cent, those of durable consumer goods by 1.4 per cent and those of other consumer goods by 3.7 per cent. The prices of raw materials and producers goods rose by 0.2 per cent over the year.
Producer prices for manufactured goods, or producer prices for goods intended for the domestic market, went down by 0.2 per cent from March to April. This was due to lower prices of oil products and pulp. Compared to last year's April, producer prices for manufactured goods remained unchanged.
Wholesale prices rose by 0.4 per cent in the year. The wholesale prices of domestic goods went up by 0.4 per cent and those of imported goods by 0.5 per cent.
>
| Monthly and annual changes in producer price indices, April 1998, % | ||
| Indices | 3/98 - 4/98 | 4/97 - 4/98 |
| Producer price index, home sales | -0.2 | 0.0 |
| Export price index | -1.0 | 0.7 |
| Import price index | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Basic price index for domestic supply | -0.1 | 0.4 |
| Wholesale price index | 0.0 | 0.4 |
Source: Producer Price Indices 1998, April. Statistics Finland