According to the latest data released by Statistics South Africa, in December 2012 the country's producer price index (PPI) for domestic output in the manufacturing sector decreased slightly by 0.1 percent compared to the previous month and was up 5.2 percent year on year.
In December last year, the PPI for domestic sales of South Africa's basic iron and steel industry fell by one percent compared to November and was down 9.2 percent compared to December 2011. On the other hand, in December last year the PPI for domestic manufacture of metal products was stable compared to the previous month and was up 4.4 percent year on year.
The PPI for exported basic iron and steel in South Africa in the given month fell 1.3 percent compared to the previous month and was down 12 percent compared to December 2011, while the PPI for exported metal products increased by 1.8 percent over the previous month and was up 4.7 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, in South Africa the PPI for imported basic iron and steel remained stable on both year-on-year and month-on-month basis, while the PPI for imported metal products increased by 0.7 percent over the previous month and was up two percent year on year.
