Prices for petroleum and primary metal products caused prices for manufactured goods to surge in March. Raw material prices were pushed up mainly by prices for non-ferrous metals.
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From February to March, prices charged by manufacturers, as measured by the Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI), registered a fifth consecutive monthly increase. The  ; 1.3% rise in the index mainly reflected the strength of prices for petroleum and coal products and primary metal products.
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On a 12-month basis, the IPPI rose by  ; 4.8%, the strongest advance since October  ; 2004. The upward pressure came largely from higher prices for primary metal products and petroleum and coal products. The upward movement was tempered by a drop in prices for lumber and …
