April 2013 Producer Price Index — 2013-05-15

The Producer Price Index for finished goods decreased 0.7 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Prices for finished goods fell 0.6 percent in March and increased 0.7 percent in February. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods declined 0.6 percent, and the crude goods index moved down 0.4 percent. On an unadjusted basis, prices for finished goods advanced 0.6 percent for the 12 months ended April 2013, the smallest 12-month rise since a 0.5-percent increase in July 2012. (See table A.) In April, over eighty percent of the decrease in the finished goods index can be traced to a 2.5- percent drop in prices for finished energy goods. Also contributing to the decline in finished goods prices, the index for finished consumer foods fell 0.8 percent. By contrast, prices for finished goods less foods and energy advanced 0.1 percent in April.