March PPI Numbers Remain Strong for Glass Industry

The seasonally unadjusted prices for materials used in glass and glazing manufacturing were positive in March both compared to February 2021, and in year-over-year price changes, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In March, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category was up 2.1% and 4.9% from March 2020. 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 March index for flat glass manufacturing in the industry classification rose 1.5% from February 2021and 4.9% 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 were up from last month’s PPI report. That index, in the commodity grouping, is up 9.4% from a year ago and up 3.3% from February month. The index for ornamental and architectural metal product manufacturing, in the industry category, shot upwards, increasing 9.9% from February to March 2021 and 17% from March 2020.

The PPI for metal windows increased 0.8% in March and climbed 6.4% compared to the March 2020 report. The price for metal doors and frames is also up, 2.4% from February and 4.5% for the year.

The cost of builders’ hardware, including glass and glazing, also increased, though less drastically, from February 2021 report with a 1.2% increase and rising 2.3% over March 2020.