Export and Import Price Indices - 2nd Quarter 2019
Highlights
Export Price Index (EPI)
1. The EPI rose by 2.4% from 96.8 in the first quarter of 2019 to 99.1 in the second quarter, mainly due to increases in the prices of “Miscellaneous manufactured articles” (+4.0%) and “Food and live animals” (+0.5%).
2. Compared to price levels in the corresponding quarter of 2018, the index decreased by 0.5%. That was mainly due to a decrease in the prices of “Food and live animals” (-3.1%), partly mitigated by an increase in the prices of “Miscellaneous manufactured articles” (+1.5%).
Import Price Index (IPI)
3. The IPI increased by 4.4% from 89.0 in the first quarter of 2019 to 92.9 in the second quarter. That was mainly the effect of increases in the prices of “Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials” (+9.9%) and “Food and live animals” (+2.5%).
4. Compared to the corresponding quarter of 2018, the index fell by 1.0%, mainly as a result of decreases in the prices of “Crude materials, inedible, except fuels” (-3.9%), “Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials” (-3.6%) and “Chemical materials & related products, n.e.s” (-3.3%), partly mitigated by increases in the prices of “Miscellaneous manufactured articles” (+8.2%) and “Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material” (+3.1%).
Terms of Trade Index
5. The terms of trade index, i.e. the ratio of Export Price Index to Import Price Index, decreased by 2.1 points (-1.9%) from 108.8 in the first quarter of 2019 to 106.7 in the second quarter. Compared to the corresponding quarter of 2018, the terms of trade increased by 0.5 point (+0.5%).
September 2019
