Chemical Prices Little Changed

While still up from year-earlier levels, chemical prices in August changed very little from the previous month, according to Labor Department data. The government's producer price index for all chemicals in August was 188.1 (1982 = 100), up just 0.2% from July. On an annual basis, the August number improved 6.6% from the same month in 2004. For industrial chemicals, the index rose 0.5% from July to 180.2, but this represents a partial recovery from month-to-month declines in June and July. The August index for industrial chemicals was up 7.2% from the same month last year.