TOKYO –
Japan’s domestic corporate goods price index rose 6.8% in September from a year earlier, slowing to below 7% for the first time in four months but remaining at a high level as soaring crude oil prices and growing demand for AI-related materials continued to push up costs, according to data released by the Bank of Japan on October 13.
The index, which measures prices of goods traded between companies, reached 135.7 in September. Although the annual rate of increase moderated, wholesale price pressures remained strong across several industrial sectors.
Rising crude oil prices, driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East, contributed to higher costs for petroleum and coal products, which increased 11.5% from a year earlier. Chemical products recorded an even larger rise of 13.3%, reflecting the impact of higher energy and raw material costs.
Demand associated with the expansion of artificial intelligence also continued to influence industrial prices. Nonferrous metals recorded a sharp 40.2% increase from a year earlier, highlighting the strength of demand for materials used in AI-related industries.
In contrast, agricultural, forestry and fishery products fell 13.3%, largely reflecting declining rice prices. The drop helped moderate the overall increase in the corporate goods price index.
The September figures indicate that while falling agricultural prices have provided some relief, higher energy costs and strong demand for industrial materials continue to sustain elevated price pressures in Japan’s business-to-business market.
Source: テレ東BIZ
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: newsonjapan.com
