The General Price Index – Internal Availability (IGP-DI) rose by 0.90% in April 2019, a percentage lower than that recorded in the previous month, when the rate was 1.07%. With this result, the index accumulated an increase of 3.33% in the year and 8.25% in 12 months. In April 2018, the index had risen by 0.93% and accumulated a 2.97% increase in 12 months.

The Broad Producer Price Index (IPA) rose by 1.09% in April. In March, the rate was 1.35%. In the analysis by processing stages, the rate of the Final Goods group varied by 1.21% in April after recording a 1.70% increase in March. The main reason for this decline was the fresh foods subgroup, whose rate went from 8.13% to 0.50%. The Final Goods (ex) index, which results from the exclusion of fresh foods and fuels for consumption, rose by 0.83% in April, down from 0.35% in March.

The Intermediate Goods group rate went from 0.68% in March to 0.89% in April. This movement was due mainly to the materials and components for manufacturing subgroup, whose rate went from 0.31% to 0.73%. The Intermediate Goods (ex) Index, calculated after excluding fuels and lubricants for production, increased by 0.60% in April, up from 0.26% in the previous month.

The Gross Raw Materials stage varied by 1.19% in April. In March, the rate had risen by 1.75%. The following items contributed to the group’s rate decrease: soybeans (grain) (2.13% to -1.88%), corn (grain) (1.13% to -6.39%), and cassava (4.96% to -4.33%). In the opposite direction, it is worth mentioning iron ore (0.10% to 7.06%), rice (bark) (-2.00% to 3.54%), and sugarcane (0.70% to 1.02%).

The Consumer Producer Price Index (CPI) varied by 0.63% in April, compared to 0.65% in the previous month. Three of the eight component expenditure classes of the index reported a decrease in their variation rates. The main contribution to the decrease in the CPI rate came from the Food group (1.10% to 0.63%). In this expenditure class, it is worth mentioning the behavior of the item vegetables and legumes, whose rate went from 13.42% to 8.15%.

The Transportation (1.22% to 0.99%) and Communication (0.19% to 0.07%) groups also showed a decrease in their variation rates. In these  expenditure classes, the main influences observed were ethanol (5.77% to 1.47%) and landline telephone and Internet packs (0.98% to 0.12%).

In contrast, the groups Health and Personal Care (0.37% to 0.84%), Education, Reading and Recreation (0.02% to 0.50%), Miscellaneous Expenses (-0.04% to 0.61%), Clothing (0.50% to 0.89%) and Housing (0.36% to 0.37%) showed an increase in their variation rates. In these expenditure classes, the largest increases were observed in the following items: medicines in general (0.15% to 1.74%), airfare (-5.59% to -1.14%), lottery tickets (1.29% to 31.63%), clothing (0.72% to 0.87%), and home furniture (-0.53% to 0.63%).

The core CPI recorded a rate of 0.41% in April, down from 0.32% in the previous month. Of the 85 CPI component items, 42 were excluded from the core calculation. Of these, 24 presented rates below 0.13%, the bottom cut-off line, and 18 recorded variations above 0.73%, the top cut-off line. In April, the diffusion index, which measures the proportion of items with a positive variation rate, was 65.98%, being 0.88 percentage points below the value reported in March, when the index was 66.86%.

The Civil Construction Index (INCC) rose by 0.38% in April, up from 0.31% in the previous month. The three component groups of the INCC reported the following changes in the period from March to April: Materials and Equipment (0.56% to 0.63%), Services (0.49% to 0.42%), and Workforce (0.12% to 0.20%).

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