In April, producer price index (PPI) for manufactured goods was down by 6.6 percent year-on-year; purchasing prices for raw material, fuels and power fell 9.6 percent.

PPI for means of production decreased 8.1 percent year-on-year. Of the total, PPIs for mining and quarrying industry decreased 21.5 percent, that of raw materials industry came down 10.3 percent, and machining industry was dropping by 5.4 percent. PPI for means of consumer goods reduced 1.7 percent. Of that total, PPIs for foodstuff came down 2.7 percent, that of clothing declined 0.1 percent, that of commodities descended 0.4 percent, and that of durable consumer goods dropped 2.7 percent.

In terms of different categories:

PPI for crude oil decreased 53.6 percent year-on-year. For oil products, PPIs for gasoline was booming up by 4.6 percent, that of diesel and kerosene decreased 11.7 and 32.5 percent respectively.

PPIs for cis-butadiene rubber, polystyrene, and polyester filament yarns was respectively declined 34.6, 22.1 and 19.4 percent.

PPI for mining and washing of coal industry was up by 8.7 percent year-on-year. Of the total, PPI for crude coal ballooned 8.9 percent.

PPI for smelting and pressing of ferrous metals went down by 18.7 percent year-on-year. Of the total, PPIs for ordinary small, medium, and large rolled-steels, heavy steel plate, and wire rod was correspondingly dipped 19.6, 25.5, 26.0, 29.5 and 28.4 percent.

PPI for smelting and pressing of nonferrous metals was down by 25.7 percent year-on-year. Of the total, aluminum, lead, zinc and copper came down 17.3, 36.3, 35.6 and 38.0 percent respectively.

In addition, wherein the purchasing price for raw materials, fuels and power products, the price for nonferrous metal materials, fuel and power, ferrous metal materials, and chemical materials dipped 29.0, 13.7, 14.0 and 9.4 percent respectively, year-on-year

From January to April, PPI for manufactured goods reduced 5.1 percent; the purchasing price for raw materials, fuels and power products was declining by 7.7 percent.

(National Bureau of Statistics May 11, 2009)