Export prices fell in February

Export prices fell by 0.7 per cent from January to February. The fall was attributable to cheaper pulp and wood products. This appears from the Export Price Index of Statistics Finland. As a whole, export prices have risen by 5.8 per cent in a year. The average year-on-year rise in export prices was still 9.5 per cent in December and 8.1 per cent in January.

In February the year-on-year change in the price of pulp turned negative - prices fell by 3 per cent compared to February of 1995. The price of pulp was still 35 per cent higher in December and 21 per cent higher in January than the year before.

Import prices rose by 0.2 per cent from January to February. The rise was due to the higher prices of minerals, machinery and equipment and cars. On the other hand, import prices fell by 0.8 per cent in the year to February.

The HWWA index, which measures the dollar prices of raw materials on the world market, fell by 0.9 per cent from January to February and in the year to February by 1.2 per cent.

Changes in producer price indices from January to February and in the year to February 1996

Source: Producer Price Indices, February 1996
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