Producer Price Index for Manufactured Goods in China Rises 8.1% in April 2008

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--China's producer price index (PPI) for manufactured goods rose 8.1% year over year, and the growth was 0.1 percentage points higher compared with March. Prices for raw materials, fuels and power rose 11.8%, the National Bureau of Statistics of China announced on May 9, 2008.

The price for means of production increased 9% year over year, 4.2 percentage points higher compared with March:

•Mining and quarrying: up 27.2%
•Raw materials: up 10.4%
•Manufacturing: up 6%

The price for means of consumer goods increased 5.5%, 0.1 percentage points lower compared with March:

•Foodstuff: up 11.9%
•Clothing: up 2.3%
•Commodities: up 3.7%
•Durable consumer goods: down 0.5%

The price for crude oil increased 37.9% year over year.

•Gasoline: up 10.8%
•Diesel: up 10.2%
•Kerosene: up 11.7%

The price for polystyrene dropped 0.1% year over year.

•Latex: up 21.5%
•Terylene: up 1.2%

The PPI for the coal mining and washing industry increased 20.9% year over year.

•Crude coal: up 20.9%

The price for the smelting and pressing of ferrous metals jumped 24.8% year over year.

•Large rolled steel: up 29.3%
•Medium rolled steel: up 41.1%
•Small rolled steel: up 34.6%
•Wire rod: up 37%
•Heavy steel plate: up 24.9%

The price for the smelting and pressing of nonferrous metals rose 4.7% year over year.

•Copper: up 0.6%
•Zinc: down 24.2%
•Aluminum: down 0.1%
•Lead: up 20.9%

In addition, the purchasing price for raw materials, fuels and power products, the price for fuel and power, nonferrous metal materials, chemical materials and ferrous metals increased 21.2%, 20.8%, 6.1% and 4.2%, respectively, year over year.

From January to April, the PPI for manufactured goods rose 7.2% compared with the same period last year, and purchasing prices for raw materials, fuels and power rose 10.3%.

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