(202) 691-7705 This Release Is Embargoed — 2007-04-13

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods increased 1.0 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This advance followed a 1.3-percent rise in February and a 0.6-percent decrease in January. The index for finished goods excluding foods and energy was unchanged in March after moving up 0.4 percent in February. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods increased 1.0 percent in March following a 1.1-percent advance a month earlier, and the crude goods index rose 3.2 percent after climbing 8.9 percent in February. (See table A.) 2007 Jan. -.6 1.1 -4.6 .2 .2 -.7 -6.3 Feb. 1.3 1.9 3.5 .4 2.5 1.1 8.9 Mar. 1.0 1.4 3.6 0 3.2 1.0 3.2 r=revised.