Industrial product and raw materials price indexes, July 2014
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Released: 2014-08-29
The Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI) declined 0.3% in July, mainly because of lower prices for energy and petroleum products. The Raw Materials Price Index (RMPI) declined 1.4%, largely as a result of lower prices for crude energy products.
Chart 1
Prices for industrial goods decrease
Industrial Product Price Index, monthly change
The IPPI declined 0.3% in July, after increasing 0.1% in June. Of the 21 major commodity groups, 8 were up, 8 were down and 5 were unchanged.
The decline in the IPPI was led by lower prices for energy and petroleum products (-2.4%). Prices for motor gasoline (-4.0%), diesel fuel (-3.4%) and light fuel oils (-2.7%) were the main reasons for the decrease in this commodity group. High crude oil inventories in North America had the effect of lowering prices for refined petroleum. The IPPI excluding energy and petroleum products increased 0.2% in July.
Moderating the decline in the IPPI were higher prices for meat, fish and dairy products (+2.2%). Fresh and frozen pork (+5.5%) as well as fresh and frozen beef and veal (+5.7%) were the main reasons for the increase in this commodity group. Prices paid by processors for hogs and cattle contributed to higher prices for fresh and frozen pork and beef.
Primary non-ferrous metal products (+1.6%) increased for the first time since March 2014, also moderating the decline in the IPPI. Higher prices for unwrought precious metals and precious metal alloys (+2.0%), unwrought copper and copper alloys (+3.3%) as well as unwrought aluminum and aluminum alloys (+2.5%) were the main contributors to the increase in this commodity group.
Fruit, vegetables, feed and other food products declined 1.1% in July, mainly as a result of lower prices for intermediate food products (-2.8%) and animal feed (-2.8%).
Motorized and recreational vehicles (-0.5%) also declined, primarily as a result of passenger cars and light trucks (-0.6%) as well as motor vehicle engines and engine parts (-0.3%). The decrease in the prices of motorized and recreational vehicles was closely linked to the appreciation of the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar.
Some Canadian producers who export their products report their prices in US dollars. Consequently, the 0.9% increase in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar may have had the effect of lowering the IPPI. Without the measurable effect of the exchange rate, the IPPI would have declined 0.1% instead of decreasing 0.3%.
Industrial Product Price Index, 12-month change
The IPPI rose 2.9% during the 12-month period ending in July, after posting a 3.1% gain in June.
Compared with July 2013, the advance of the IPPI was mainly attributable to meat, fish, and dairy products (+9.3%), specifically fresh and frozen pork (+24.9%) as well as fresh and frozen beef and veal (+19.4%).
Year-over-year prices for chemical and chemical products were up 6.0%, mainly resulting from higher prices for petrochemicals (+15.0%), ammonia and chemical fertilizers (+20.9%) and plastic resins (+10.3%). On a year-over-year basis, prices for chemicals and chemical products have been on an upward trend since July 2013.
Primary non-ferrous metal products (+6.7%) also contributed to the year-over-year increase of the IPPI, primarily because of higher prices for unwrought precious metals and precious metal alloys (+6.7%).
On a year-over-year basis, motorized and recreational vehicles increased 2.6%, as a result of higher prices for passenger cars and light trucks (+2.3%) as well as motor vehicle engines and motor vehicle parts (+2.4%).
Energy and petroleum products have increased 1.8% since July 2013, as a result of higher prices for light fuel oils (+3.9%), heavy fuel oils (+3.2%) as well as lubricants and other petroleum refinery products (+6.2%).
Raw Materials Price Index, monthly change
The RMPI declined 1.4% in July, after posting a 1.1% increase in June. The July decrease in the index was the second in eight months. Of the six major commodity groups, four were down and two were up.
Chart 2
Prices for raw materials decrease
The decrease in the index was mainly due to lower prices for crude energy products (-4.4%), more specifically conventional crude oil (-4.5%). It was the largest decline for crude energy products since November 2013. The decrease in crude oil prices was partly the result of high inventories in North America and diminishing concerns regarding supply from certain oil-producing countries. The RMPI excluding crude energy products rose 1.9% in July.
Crop products (-1.4%) also exerted downward pressure on the RMPI, mostly because of lower prices for other crop products (-1.0%), wheat (-3.4%) and canola (-2.8%).
The decrease in the RMPI was moderated largely by higher prices for animals and animal products (+3.7%). Live animals (+5.7%), particularly hogs (+8.9%) and cattle and calves (+5.1%) contributed to the increase of this commodity group.
The decline of the RMPI in July was also moderated by metal ores, concentrates and scrap, as prices rose 2.5%, after falling 1.2% the previous month.
Raw Materials Price Index, 12-month change
The RMPI increased 2.2% during the 12-month period ending in July, after posting a 9.1% gain in June.
Compared with the same month a year earlier, the rise of the RMPI was mainly due to higher prices for animals and animal products (+13.6%), which have been increasing on a year-over-year basis since April 2013. Live animals (+22.4%), particularly hogs (+28.8%) and cattle and calves (+28.6%), were mainly responsible for the increase in this commodity group.
To a lesser extent, prices for metal ores, concentrates and scrap (+4.0%) also exerted upward pressure on the RMPI on a year-over-year basis, after being unchanged in June.
The advance of the RMPI over the 12-month period was moderated mainly by crop products (-6.3%). Other crop products (-8.3%), wheat (-12.4%) and canola (-14.9%) were responsible for the decline in crop products.
Compared with July 2013, the rise of the RMPI was also moderated by crude energy products (-0.2%), as a result of lower prices for conventional crude oil (-0.5%). Crude energy products were down for the first time since April 2013 on a year-over-year basis.
Note to readers
With each release, data for the previous six months may have been revised. The indexes are not seasonally adjusted.
The Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI) reflects the prices that producers in Canada receive as the goods leave the plant gate. It does not reflect what the consumer pays. Unlike the Consumer Price Index, the IPPI excludes indirect taxes and all the costs that occur between the time a good leaves the plant and the time the final user takes possession of it, including the transportation, wholesale and retail costs.
Canadian producers export many goods. They often indicate their prices in foreign currencies, especially in US dollars, which are then converted into Canadian dollars. In particular, this is the case for motor vehicles, pulp, paper and wood products. Therefore, a rise or fall in the value of the Canadian dollar against its US counterpart affects the IPPI. However, the conversion into Canadian dollars only reflects how respondents provide their prices. This is not a measure that takes the full effect of exchange rates into account.
The conversion of prices received in US dollars is based on the average monthly exchange rate (noon spot rate) established by the Bank of Canada, and it is available on CANSIM in table 176-0064 (series v37426). Monthly and annual variations in the exchange rate, as described in the release, are calculated according to the indirect quotation of the exchange rate (for example, CAN$1 = US$X).
The Raw Materials Price Index (RMPI) reflects the prices paid by Canadian manufacturers for key raw materials. Many of those prices are set on the world market. However, as few prices are denominated in foreign currencies, their conversion into Canadian dollars has only a minor effect on the calculation of the RMPI.
Table CANSIM table329-0074: Industrial Product Price Index, by major commodity aggregations.
Table CANSIM table329-0075: Industrial Product Price Index, by commodity.
Table CANSIM table329-0076: Industrial Product Price Index, for selected groups, by region.
Table CANSIM table329-0077: Industrial Product Price Index, by North American Industry Classification System.
Table CANSIM table330-0008: Raw Materials Price Index, by commodity.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers survey number2306 and survey number2318.
The industrial product and raw materials price indexes for August will be released on September 30.
Contact information
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