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Prices for materials used in glass and glazing manufacturing were mixed in May 2019, but have increased on a year-over-year basis according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
In May, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category grew a modest 0.1% from the previous month, but is up 0.7% from May 2018. 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 dropped 0.2% from April 2019, but is up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. 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 increased 0.3%, following a 1.1% decrease from March to April. That index, in the commodity grouping, is up 2.8 percent for the year. Ornamental and architectural metal product manufacturing, in the industry category, fell 0.1% in May. It has experienced a 3.2% increase since May 2018.
The PPI for metal windows is up 0.4% from its April 2019 level. It’s up 9.6% from the May 2018 report a year ago. Metal doors and frames showed a decrease of 0.2% in May. The category is up 5.1% for the year.
The cost of builders’ hardware, which includes hardware used in glass and glazing, was unchanged from April to May. However, that price is 3.4% higher than in May 2018.
Monthly and Yearly Change in Glass and Glazing Material Prices
| April to May 2019 | May 2018 to May 2019 | |
| Flat Glass | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Flat Glass Manufacturing | -0.2% | 1.1% |
| Fabricated Structural Metal Products | 0.3% | 2.8% |
| Ornamental and Architectural Product Manufacturing | -0.1% | 3.2% |
| Metal Windows | 0.4% | 9.6% |
| Metal Doors and Frames | -0.2% | 5.1% |
| Builders’ Hardware | 0% | 3.4% |
