This is the unedited press release from Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland


WIESBADEN – As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), in January 2008, the index of import prices increased by 5.2% from the corresponding month of the preceding year. This was the highest year-on-year rate of price increase since August 2006 (+5.5%). In December and in November 2007 the annual rates of change were +3.7% and +3.5%, respectively. The index of import prices, excluding crude oil and mineral oil products, was 0.7% below the level of January 2007. The rise in the annual rate of change was partly due to a base level effect in the energy sector. In this sector, the annual rate of change was +36.3% in January 2008. The 6.6% decrease in energy prices in January 2007 as compared with December 2006 (including in particular crude oil: –9.7%) mathematically increased the rate for the previous year.

From December 2007 to January 2008 the index of import prices rose by 0.8%.

The index of export prices increased 1.8% in January 2008 from the corresponding month of the preceding year. In December and in November 2007 the annual rate of change was +1.3% and +1.2%, respectively. From December 2007 to January 2008 the index rose by 0.7%.


Available at:

http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/EN/press/pr/2008/02/PE08__076__614,templateId=renderPrint.psml