Statistics ( Flash ): U.S. Input Costs Moderated in 2012

The cost of making finished goods, excluding foods and energy, grew just 0.1 percent in 2012, or at half the rate of 2011, according to an update to the Producer Price Index (PPI) released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. When including foods and energy, the PPI for finished goods rose 1.3 percent compared to 4.7 percent in 2011.

Further up the supply chain, the PPI for intermediate goods excluding foods and energy rose 0.2 percent during the year ended Dec. 31, 2012, while the index for crude goods except foods and energy rose 1.1 percent.

The agency was able to make the annual estimates after calculating the PPI for December. 

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