Substantial drop in factory gate prices

Factory gate prices of Dutch manufactured products were nearly 11 percent down in March 2009 relative to March 2008. In February, prices dropped by nearly 10 percent. For the fifth month in a row, manufactured products were cheaper than twelve months previously. Before that, price increases slowed down rapidly in a relatively short period. By mid-2008, factory gate prices were still about 12 percent up on one year ago.

Prices of petroleum derivatives in particular were lower in March. Factory gate prices decreased by 43 percent. Price developments in this sector are seriously affected by the price of crude oil. The euro price of a barrel of North Sea Brent oil was over 45 percent down on twelve months previously. Factory gate prices in the chemical industry were 20 percent lower in March than in March 2008. Food prices were nearly 5 percent down.

In March, factory gate prices were almost equal to those in February. Prices on the domestic market were 0.4 percent down, but the decline was almost entirely offset by a marginal increase in prices on the export market.

Factory gate prices