(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2006-04-18

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 0.5 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This increase followed a 1.4-percent decline in February and a 0.3-percent advance in January. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods decreased 0.1 percent in March, after moving down 0.3 percent in February, and the crude goods index fell 2.7 percent, following a 9.2-percent drop in the prior month. (See table A.) 2006 Jan. .3 .2 0 .4 5.7 1.2 -.5 Feb. -1.4 -2.7 -4.7 .3 3.7 -.3 -9.2 Mar. .5 .5 1.8 .1 3.5 -.1 -2.7 r=revised. Some of the figures shown above and elsewhere in this release may differ from those previously reported because data for November 2005 have been revised to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.