Final demand producer prices in Australia added 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the previous three months, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Friday - following the 0.2 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2012.
On a yearly basis, final demand producer prices added 1.6 percent after rising 1.0 percent in the three months prior.
The increase was mainly due to rises in the prices received for building construction (+0.8 percent), other agriculture (+6.1 percent) and petroleum refining and petroleum fuel manufacturing (+4.2 percent), the bureau said.
Prices were partly offset by falls in the prices received for pharmaceutical and medicinal product manufacturing (-4.8 percent).
Intermediate demand producer prices were flat on quarter and up 1.5 percent on year.
Gains were recorded in the prices received for oil and gas extraction (+4.9 percent), motor vehicle and motor vehicle part manufacturing (+2.5 percent) and other agriculture (+3.7 percent), the bureau said.
Those gains were offset by falls in the prices received for printing and printing support services (-4.9 percent) and electrical equipment manufacturing (-3.9 percent).
Preliminary demand producer prices were up 0.2 percent on quarter and 1.5 percent on year.
The gains were mainly due to rises in the prices received for oil and gas extraction (+4.9 percent), metal ore mining (+3.6 percent) and other agriculture (+4.5 percent), the bureau said.
Those gains were partly offset by falls in the prices received for sugar and confectionery manufacturing (-9.1 percent), printing and printing support services (-4.4 percent) and coal mining (-2.6 percent).
Upon the release of the data, the Australian dollar drifted weaker against its major counterparts, trading near 1.0258 against the U.S. dollar, 100.54 against the yen, 1.2053 against the NZ dollar and 1.2743 against the euro.
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