(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2001-04-12

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods edged down 0.1 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This decline followed a 0.1-percent rise in February and a 1.1-percent advance in January. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy edged up 0.1 percent in March, following a 0.3-percent decrease in the prior month. Prices received by producers of intermediate goods fell 0.2 percent in March, following a 0.1- percent decrease in the prior month. The crude goods index declined 1.7 percent, after dropping 14.2 percent in February. (See table A.) 2001 Jan. 1.1 .8 3.8 .7 4.8 .7 13.9 Feb. .1 .6 1.4 -.3 4.0 -.1 -14.2 Mar. -.1 1.1 -2.6 .1 3.1 -.2 -1.7 r=revised.