Producer price index, 15 October 2002

The largest contributor to the development in manufacturing goods was a 2.9 per cent decline in prices of chemicals and chemical products. The second most influential group was basic metals that experienced a price decrease of 1.2 per cent. Refined oil products counteracted this decrease with a 0.3 per cent increase, while prices of wood and wood products went up by 0.7 per cent. Prices of food products remained almost the same.

Electricity, gas and steam supply increased by 13.9 per cent.

According to the main industrial groupings energy goods went down by 1.4 per cent, and intermediate and consumer goods by 1.1 and 0.1 per cent respectively.

In the domestic market manufacturing prices showed an increase of 0.3 per cent. The development was mainly due to higher prices of refined oil products, and also of wood and wood products.

12-month rate, October 2001 - October 2002

Manufacturing prices went down by 1.6 per cent from October 2001 to October 2002. The development was mainly to due to a decrease of 11.2 per cent in basic metals, as well as an 11.9 per cent decline in prices of pulp, paper and paper products. Prices of chemicals and chemical products, and food products also showed a decline. Increased prices of refined oil products and machinery somewhat counteracted the overall effect.

According to the main industrial groupings prices of energy goods increased by 12.1 per cent, while intermediate goods decreased by 4.4 per cent.