On an unadjusted basis, from September 2008 to September 2009, prices for finished goods fell 4.8 percent, the tenth consecutive month of year-over-year declines.
The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods declined 0.6 percent in September, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.
This decrease followed a 1.7-percent rise in August and a 0.9-percent decline in July.
In September, at the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods moved up 0.2 percent, and the crude goods index fell 2.1 percent.
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Finished goods
In September, over ninety percent of the finished goods decrease was the result of lower energy prices, which moved down 2.4 percent. The indexes for finished goods less foods and energy and for finished consumer foods also contributed to the decline in finished goods prices, both edging down 0.1 percent.
Finished energy: The index for finished energy goods fell 2.4 percent in September compared with an 8.0-percent surge a month earlier. Almost eighty percent of the decrease can be attributed to gasoline prices, which moved down 5.4 percent. Falling prices for home heating oil and residential natural gas also contributed to the decline in the finished energy goods index.
Finished core: Prices for finished goods less foods and energy edged down 0.1 percent in September following a 0.2-percent increase in August. Leading the decline, the index for light motor trucks moved down 1.4 percent. Lower prices for pet food also impacted the finished core index.
Finished foods:
Prices for finished consumer foods inched down 0.1 percent in September after rising
0.4 percent in August. The index for eggs for fresh use, which declined 9.8 percent, led the decrease in finished consumer food prices.
Intermediate goods
The Producer Price Index for Intermediate Materials, Supplies, and Components moved up 0.2 percent in September, its second consecutive monthly increase. This advance can be attributed to prices for intermediate materials less foods and energy, which rose 0.9 percent. By contrast, the index for intermediate energy goods fell 2.1 percent, and prices for intermediate foods and feeds declined 0.5 percent. On a 12-month basis, the intermediate goods index fell 11.7 percent in September. This was the second consecutive month of slowing year-over-year declines after a record 15.1-percent drop for the 12-months ended July 2009.
Intermediate core: Prices for intermediate materials less foods and energy climbed 0.9 percent in September, their fourth consecutive monthly increase. Accounting for about a quarter of the September advance, the index for primary basic organic chemicals rose 8.1 percent. Higher prices for hot rolled steel sheet and strip and for primary nonferrous metals also were factors in the intermediate core increase.
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