According to new Istat data, in March industrial producer prices decreased by 0.2% on a monthly basis and by 9.6% on an annual basis (it was -10.8% in February).
On the domestic market, prices decreased by 0.4% compared to February and by 12.7% on an annual basis (from -14.2% in the previous month). Net of the energy sector, prices grew modestly (+0.1%) and recorded a steady decline at -2.2%.
On the foreign market, prices remain unchanged on a monthly basis (+0.1% euro area, -0.2% non-euro area) and decline by 1.2% on an annual basis (-2.0% euro area, -0 .5% non-euro area).
In the first quarter of 2024, compared to the previous one, industrial producer prices decreased by 3.4% (-4.8% domestic market, -0.3% foreign market).
Among manufacturing activities, the largest trend declines in March concerned the chemical products sectors (-7.5% domestic market, -8% euro area, -4.1% non-euro area), metallurgy and manufacturing of products in metal (-5.7% domestic market, -6.7% euro area, -5.1% non-euro area), rubber and plastic articles (-3.3% domestic market and non-euro area, -1, 9% euro area) and the wood, paper and printing industry (-2.8% domestic market, -8.1% euro area, -4.9% non-euro area). The highest trend increases are found in the non-euro area for means of transport (+3.2%) and other manufacturing industries, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (+2.9%). On the domestic market, the year-on-year decline in the prices of mining activities (-20.4%) and the supply of electricity and gas (-34.4%) remains marked.
Construction producer prices for “Residential and non-residential buildings” decreased in March by 0.1% on a monthly basis and by 0.4% on an annual basis (it was -0.3% in February). “Roads and Railways” prices also decreased by 0.1% on a monthly basis; in trend terms, they fell by 1.1% (from -2.2% in the previous month).
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