The import price index for glass and glassware was at 129.3 for the month of January, up 0.7 percent from 126.9 in December, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Export prices, however, were down from an index of 141.0 to 140.6—a drop of 1.5 percent.
Glass and glassware includes float glass, safety glass, lab glass and a range of other glass products, according to information from the International Price Program office in Washington, D.C.
The latest import/export price report comes amid news that some suppliers are raising prices, including Trulite, which announced price increases ranging from 3 to 11 percent on its products. The company attributes the increases to notice from its “major flat glass suppliers that they will be increasing their prices.”
“Rising material and operating costs are cited as the reasons for the increase,” writes Ben Thomas, vice president of supply chain for Trulite, in the company’s January 29 notice to customers.
He adds, “While we are continually implementing cost mitigation and productivity improvement projects, Trulite [has] continue[d] to experience increases in materials, packaging supplies and operational costs over the past year. As a result, we are forced to make adjustments to our list prices to partially offset these negative impacts.”
