PPI Report Shows Dip in Flat Glass Prices for July

Flat glass prices dropped in July, in contrast to how they’ve been trending for most of the year.

According to the latest Producer Price Index Report (PPI) issued today by the U.S. Labor Department, flat glass prices dropped 0.2 percent from June to July, their first decrease since January. The flat glass index sits at 120.6.

The PPI program measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The prices included in the PPI are from the first commercial transaction for many products and some services.

Flat glass prices spiked 1.7 percent from March to April and saw an increase of 0.6 over the two months prior. That, combined with a 0.2 increase in May and June, equaled a 2.5 percent spike in prices the last five months before July’s slight drop.

Meanwhile, in another report, import prices for glass and glassware remained stagnant in July for the second straight month after decreasing in each of the three months prior. Prices in that category are up 0.9 from a year ago.

Export prices for glass and glassware also remained flat after dipping 0.1 percent the month before. Export prices for glass and glassware increased 0.9 percent in April and May combined and are up 1.2 percent from last year.

Prices of materials for construction jumped 0.2 percent from June to July after increasing 0.6 in the two months prior. Prices in that category are up 2.8 percent from July 2013. Final demand for construction also continued to rise with a sharp 0.5 percent increase and is up 3.3 percent from a year ago.

On the whole, the PPI for final demand rose 0.1 percent in July, seasonally adjusted. This increase followed a 0.4 percent advance in June and a 0.2 percent decline in May. On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand climbed 1.7 percent year-over-year.

Overall, import prices fell 0.2 percent in July, the first monthly decline for the index since a 0.6 percent drop in April. The price index for overall imports advanced 0.8 percent over the past 12 months, a similar movement to the 0.9 percent increase from July 2012 to July 2013.

Prices for overall exports recorded no change in July following a 0.4 percent decline in June. Export prices fell 1.3 percent over the past four months, after increasing 1.7 percent over February and March. Overall, the price index for U.S. exports rose 0.4 percent over the past 12 months.