Producer price indexes by stage of processing, September 2013

The Producer Price Index for finished goods fell 0.1 percent in September 2013, seasonally adjusted. Prices for finished goods rose 0.3 percent in August and were unchanged in July. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by producers of intermediate goods advanced 0.1 percent, and the crude goods index increased 0.5 percent.

The 0.1-percent decline in the finished goods index is attributable to prices for finished consumer foods, which fell 1.0 percent in September 2013. A 17.9-percent drop in the index for fresh and dry vegetables accounted for two-thirds of the September decline. 

Tn September 2013, the indexes for finished energy goods and for finished goods less foods and energy moved up 0.5 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively. One-third of the increase in the index for finished energy goods is attributable to a 6.0-percent jump in the index for home heating oil. Higher prices for residential natural gas also were a factor.

The index for intermediate materials, supplies, and components advanced 0.1 percent in September following no change in both August and July. Over half of the rise can be traced to prices for intermediate energy goods, which moved up 0.3 percent.

The index for intermediate energy goods rose 0.3 percent in September, the fifth consecutive advance. Leading the increase, diesel fuel prices climbed 2.9 percent. Higher prices for jet fuel and heating oil also were factors in the rise in the index for intermediate energy goods.

Prices for intermediate foods and feeds rose 0.3 percent in September following a 2.3-percent drop in August. The advance was led by the index for soybean cake and meal, which increased 17.6 percent.

The index for crude materials for further processing moved up 0.5 percent in September. The increase can be traced to prices for crude energy materials, which rose 2.0 percent. By contrast, the indexes for crude nonfood materials less energy and for crude foodstuffs and feedstuffs fell 1.0 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

The advance in prices for crude energy goods in September was led by a 3.3-percent increase in the index for crude petroleum. Higher prices for natural gas and coal also contributed to the rise in the crude energy materials index.

The over-the-month decline in the index for crude food goods in September was primarily the result of a 13.1-percent drop in corn prices.

These data are from the BLS Producer Price Index program. To learn more, see "Producer Price Indexes — September 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑13‑2075. All producer price indexes are routinely subject to revision once, 4 months after original publication, to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.