Sustained price increases in manufacturing industry

Selling prices of Dutch manufacturing industry were 2.6 percent higher in May 2007 than in the same month last year. This is nearly twice the price increase of 1.4 percent in April.

The price increases were curbed by price developments in the petroleum processing industry. If these developments are left out of account, the price increase in May comes to 4.1 percent.

In petroleum processing and refining, selling prices were 6.5 percent down. Selling prices were affected by oil prices on the global market. In the past few months the price (in US dollars) of petroleum went up, but was still more than 5 percent below the level of May 2006. The impact of the lower oil price on selling prices was enhanced as the US dollar fell 5.5 percent against the euro relative to one year previously.

Prices of wood products were just over 10 percent higher than in the same month last year. And with an increase of 7 and 6 percent respectively, selling prices of food and metal products were also considerably higher than in May 2006.

Prices were an average 1 percent higher than in April 2007. Prices of products sold on the domestic market rose by 0.7 percent; prices of exported products increased by 1.2 percent.

Factory gate prices