Glass and Glazing Material Prices Climb Again

Glass and glazing material prices continued to rise in March, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category rose 0.7 percent from the previous month, and it’s up 2.7 percent from March 2017. 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 1.8 percent, and those prices have increased 8.2 percent since March 2017. 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 up 1.6 percent, but that index, in the commodity grouping, is up 5.6 percent for the year. Ornamental and architectural metal product manufacturing, in the industry category, saw price increases of 1.3 percent for the month and 4.2 percent since 2017.

The PPI for metal windows rose 0.3 percent from its February level, and is 5.6 percent above 2017’s report. Metal doors and frames increased 0.2 percent for the month and are up 4.9 percent for the year.

The price of thermoplastic resins and plastic materials rose 2.2 percent and is up 4.4 percent from last year.

Prices for thermosetting resins and plastic materials rose 0.3 percent and are up 4.1 percent since March 2017. Fiberglass plastic product prices increased 2.1 percent since last month and are up 2.9 percent for the year.

The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in fenestration, fell 0.2 percent. Those prices are 1.8 percent higher than in 2017.