The latest data issued by the National Bureau of Statistics yesterday shows that in March China��s PPI rose 5.6 percent over the same month of last year.

Prices for raw materials, fuel and power increased by 9.7 percent which was at the similar level of that in February. PPI for production materials swelled 7.6 percent year-on-year, which pushed PPI for industrial products up by 5.6 percentage points. Prices of products from mining sector went up 26.8 percent while that of raw materials grew 11.1 percent. Processing industry geared up the price by 2.7 percent.

PPI for living materials climbed by 0.2 percent in March over the same month of last year. Food was 1.7 percent and clothing was 0.6 percent more expensive than March last year. Daily necessities were priced 2.5 percent higher but consumer durables became 3.2 percent cheaper.

PPI for crude oil soared 31.8 percent last month over March in 2004. PPI for gasoline, coal oil and diesel was pushed higher by 17.9 percent, 13.1 percent and 23.1 percent respectively.

In March coal mining and dressing saw PPI jump 26.3 percent. The year-on-year PPI rise for crude coal, ferrous metallurgy and processing, non-ferrous metallurgy and processing reached 26.6 percent, 6.5 percent and 10.8 percent respectively.

By People's Daily Online