Year-on-year producer price inflation slowed to 9.3 percent last month from 10 percent in November, Statistics SA reported on Thursday.

It said contributing factors included decreases in the year-on-year PPI for mining and quarrying products, basic metals, and chemical and chemical products.

These were partly countered by increases in the year-on-year PPI for products of petroleum and coal, non-electrical machinery and equipment and textiles and made-up goods.

From November to December the PPI for all commodities for South African consumption decreased by 0.6 percent.

For imported goods, the year-on-year PPI decreased to 9.1 percent which is 2.2 percent lower than the annual rate of 11.3 percent in November.

Stats SA said the average annual rate of increase in the PPI for all commodities for South African consumption was higher at 7.7 percent for 2006 which was 4.6 percentage points higher than the corresponding average annual rate of 3.1 percent 2005.

Sapa

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