August PPI a Mixed Bag, Continues July’s Trends

The prices for materials (seasonally unadjusted) used in glass and glazing manufacturing in August 2020 maintained many of the same trends from last month. However, price changes still were mixed overall, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In August, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category is down 0.1% from the previous month, but is up 1% from August 2019. According to the BLS, the commodity classification “organizes products and services by similarity or material composition, regardless of the industry classification of the producing establishment.

The August index for flat glass manufacturing in the industry classification decreased 0.4% from July 2020. It’s up 0.1% on a year-over-year basis. The industry classification measures “changes in prices received for the industry’s output sold outside the industry (that is, its net output).”

Prices for fabricated structural metal products have decreased 0.7% from last month’s PPI report. That index, in the commodity grouping, is down 0.5% from a year ago. The index for ornamental and architectural metal product manufacturing, in the industry category, was unchanged from July to August 2020. However, it has experienced a 3.1% jump since August 2019.

The PPI for metal windows was unchanged from the July 2020 index. It has climbed 2.9% compared to the August 2019 report. The price for metal doors and frames also is unchanged from July 2020. The category is up 1.5% for the year.

The cost of builders’ hardware, including that used in glass and glazing, rose a slight 0.1% from the July 2020 report but saw a 2% increase compared to the August 2019 report.

Monthly and Yearly Change in Glass and Glazing Material Prices