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The seasonally unadjusted prices for materials used in glass and glazing manufacturing were positive in May 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 May, the monthly PPI for flat glass in the commodity category was up 0.2% and 4.0% from May 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 May index for flat glass manufacturing in the industry classification rose 0.8% from April 2021 and 5.8% 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 18.3% from a year ago and up 4.9% from April. The index for ornamental and architectural metal product manufacturing, in the industry category, shot upwards, increasing 3.8% from April to May 2021 and 24.2% from May 2020.
The PPI for metal windows increased 1.9% in May and climbed 8.2% compared to the May 2020 report. The price for metal doors and frames is also up, 1.6% from April and 9.2% for the year.
The cost of builders’ hardware, including glass and glazing, also increased, though less drastically, from the April 2021 report with a 0.8% increase and rising 3.2% over May 2020.
Monthly and Yearly Change in Glass and Glazing Material Prices
| Category | April 2021 to May 2021 | May 2020 to May 2021 |
| Flat Glass | 0.2% | 4.0% |
| Flat Glass Manufacturing | 0.8% | 5.8% |
| Fabricated Structural Metal Products | 4.9% | 18.3% |
| Ornamental and Architectural Metal Work Manufacturing | 3.8% | 24.2% |
| Metal Windows | 1.9% | 8.2% |
| Metal Doors and Frames | 1.6% | 9.2% |
| Builders’ Hardware | 0.8% | 3.2% |
