Austria Wholesale Prices Fall 0.2%

(RTTNews) - Austria's wholesale prices decreased for the second successive month in March, figures from Statistics Austria showed on Monday.

The wholesale price index dropped 0.2 percent year-over-year in March, following a 0.1 percent fall in February.

"The main price dampeners were noticeably lower fuel and mineral oil prices for the second time in a row, while wholesalers raised the prices of coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices, as well as grain, seeds, and animal feed, sharply in March," Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas said.

Prices for solid fuels plunged 13.3 percent from last year, and those for industrial chemicals declined by 11.6 percent. There was an 11.3 percent fall in the price index for other liquid and gaseous fuels and related products.

On a monthly basis, wholesale prices decreased 0.8 percent in March, after a 0.2 percent drop in January.