PPI: Glass Prices Rise as Year Nears End

Prices for materials used in the glass and glazing industry increased notably in October after months of stagnation, according to recently released Producer Price Index (PPI) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category increased 0.7 percent in October, is up by the same amount from a year ago. According to the BLS, the commodity classification “organizes products and services by similarity or material composition, regardless of the industry classification of the producing establishment.”

The index for flat glass manufacturing in the industry classification jumped 2.2 percent, and those prices have increased 2.7 percent since October 2016. The industry classification measures “changes in prices received for the industry’s output sold outside the industry (that is, its net output).”

Prices for fabricated structural metal products were flat from September to October, but that index, in the commodity grouping, represents a 2.8-percent price increase year-over-year.

Ornamental and architectural metal product manufacturing, in the industry category, saw price increases of 0.1 percent for the month and 2.6 percent for the year.

The PPI for metal windows ticked down 0.5 percent from its September reading (2.2 percent above 2016’s levels), and metal doors and frames was unchanged for the month but up 4.6 percent from last year.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in doors and windows, followed its 1.7 percent increase in September with a 2-percent decline in October. Those prices are up 1.8 percent for the year.