Producer prices up

The average selling prices of Dutch manufacturing industry increased in the second quarter of 2002 compared with the first quarter. Preliminary figures by Statistics Netherlands indicate that prices for raw materials and semimanufactured products were also higher in the second quarter than in the first quarter.

Selling prices and prices of raw materials and semimanufactured
products were lower in the second quarter of this year than in the second quarter of last year.

Higher selling prices manufacturing products
Selling prices of Dutch manufacturing industry on average rose by 1.6 percent in the second quarter of 2002 compared to the first quarter. Manufacturers increased prices on the Dutch market by 1.0 percent. Exported products were 2.0 percent more expensive. The increase in selling prices was largely caused by oil price developments. If oil price developments are not taken into account,
the increase on both the Dutch and the foreign market was approximately 0.3 percent.

The level of selling prices in the second quarter was 3.3 percent lower than in the second quarter of 2001. Products sold on the Dutch market were 1.8 percent cheaper, products sold on the foreign market in the second quarter were 4.3 percent cheaper than last year.

Consumption prices higher
Manufacturers paid more for raw materials and semimanufactured products in the second quarter of 2002. On average, the price level was 2.7 percent higher than in the first quarter. Raw materials and semimanufactured products purchased on the foreign market were 4.6 percent more expensive, raw materials and semimanufactured products purchased on the Dutch market cost 0.5 percent more. Prices of raw materials and semimanufactured products were on average almost 5 percent lower than last year. Imported raw materials were more than 3 percent cheaper than last year. Raw materials from the Netherlands were almost 7 percent down in the second quarter of
2002 compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.

For more information please visit www.cbs.nl.

(source: Statistics Netherlands)

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