Export and import price indices - April 2018

Month-on-month comparison:

Exports: export prices fell 0.1% in April (+0.4% in March). The change of the total m-o-m export price index was led mainly by a 0.2% price decline in ‘machinery and transport equipment’. Prices in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants, and related products’ dropped 1.0%, ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels‘ fell 0.4%. Only price growth was recorded in ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (+0.2%).

Imports: import prices stayed unchanged in April following a 0.4% advance in March.
Prices increased in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants, and related products’ (+1.7%), ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (+0.1%), and ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels‘(+0.1%). On the contrary, biggest price drop was recorded in ‘food and live animals’ (-2.1%) and ‘chemicals and related products’ (-0.3%).

The terms of trade decreased to the value of 99.9% (100.0% in March). Negative values were reached in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants, and related products’ (97.3%), ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels’ (99.5%), and ‘machinery and transport equipment’ (99.7%). Positive values of terms of trade were reached by prices of ‘food and live animals’ (102.0%), ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (100.2%), ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (100.2%), and ‘chemicals and related products’ (100.2%).

Year-on-year comparison:

Exports: mainly due to strengthening of koruna against euro and U.S. dollar export prices fell 3.9% (-4.3% in March). A 4.9% price decline in ‘machinery and transport equipment’ contributed to the decrease in overall y-o-y export price index. ‘Chemicals and related products’, ‘food and live animals’ and ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ prices dropped 5.7%, 4.8% and 4.7%, respectively. Prices grew only in ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (+0.1%).

Imports: import prices decreased by 5.3% after a 5.9% decline in March. The fall of the total annual import price index was primarily driven by a 7.7% drop in ‘machinery and transport equipment’. Prices also fell in ‘crude materials, inedible, except fuels (-15.4%; mainly rubber), ‘food and live animals’ (-8.3%), and ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (-6.3%). Biggest price growth was registered in ‘mineral fuels, lubricants, and related products’ (+4.2%).

The terms of trade figures decreased to the value of 101.5% (101.7% in March) staying in the positive values for the seventh successive month. Among significant groups, positive values were reached by prices of ‘machinery and transport equipment‘ (103.0%), ‘manufactured goods classified chiefly by material’ (102.7%) and ‘miscellaneous manufactured articles’ (101.7%). ‘Mineral fuels, lubricants, and related products’ and ‘chemicals and related products’ reached negative values of terms of trade - 92.5% and 97.9%, respectively.

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Notes:Responsible manager of the CZSO: Jiří Mrázek, Department Director
Contact: Vladimír Klimeš, phone (+420) 274 054 102, e-mail: vladimir.klimes@csu.gov.cz
Method of data collection: Selective survey of the CZSO
End of data collection: 16th calendar day after the reference month
Related publications: 013014-18 Import and Export Price Indices in the Czech Republic https://csu.gov.cz/export-and-import-price-indices
Specific methodical notes: The data released are final.
Next News Release: 19 July 2018
Not edited for language