Dutch producer prices higher again

Prices for Dutch manufactured products were on average 7.2 percent higher in May than in the same month of last year. In April they were up by 6.5 percent. Over the last two years the producer prices have always been at least 5 percent higher than in the same month of the previous year, which is the longest period observed since 1990.

Prices of crude oil and oil products largely account for the development of producer prices. If the oil industry is left out of consideration, producer prices were 3.5 percent higher in May 2006 than twelve months previously.

Compared to April 2006 manufacturers hardly changed the selling prices of their products in May. The price level was down by an average of 0.1 percent on April. The prices of the goods sold on the Dutch market were unchanged. Germany saw a comparable development in its domestic selling prices.

Within industry there were different developments from May on April. The prices of the products of the oil processing industry fell by 1.3 percent. In April, influenced by the hike in oil prices, they were up by 8.8 percent. Producer prices in the leather and leather products industry increased by 1.5 percent, after a 2.4 percent dip in April. The metal industry also saw a price increase due to the continued price hikes of several metals on the world market.

Factory gate prices