Prices of Dutch manufactured products were on average 7.2 percent higher in May than during the same month last year, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) said on Friday.

In April prices were up by 6.5 percent. Over the last two years, the producer prices have always been at least 5 percent higher than in the same month of the previous year, which is the longest period observed since 1990.

Prices of crude oil and oil products largely account for the growth of producer prices, said the CBS.

If the oil industry is left out of consideration, producer prices were 3.5 percent higher in May 2006 than 12 months before.

Compared to April 2006, manufacturers barely changed the selling prices of their products in May. The price level was down by an average of 0.1 percent in April.

Within industry, May witnessed different developments to April, said the CBS.

The prices of the products of the oil processing industry fell by 1.3 percent in May. In April, influenced by climbing oil prices, they were up by 8.8 percent.

Producer prices in the leather and leather products industry increased by 1.5 percent in May, following a 2.4-percent dip in April. The metal industry also saw a price increase in May due to continued price hikes of several metals on the world market.

Source: Xinhua