Factory gate prices further up

In February, factory gate prices in Dutch manufacturing were over 6 percent up on February 2009. In January, prices of manufactured products were nearly 5 percent higher than twelve months previously.

With 45 percent, output prices in the petroleum industry showed by far the most substantial increase in February. Prices in the petroleum sector are directly affected by the price of crude oil. The euro price of a barrel of North Sea Brent oil was over 60 percent up on one year previously. Chemical products were also much more expensive. The chemical industry charged nearly 13 percent more for its products than one year previously, but in various other branches prices dropped. With nearly 4 percent, the most substantial price drop was recorded in the wood industry.

For the fifth consecutive month, factory gate prices were higher than in the preceding month. In February, prices were 0.9 percent up on January. With 1.0 percent, prices on the foreign market rose more rapidly than prices on the domestic market (0.7 percent).

Factory gate prices