represents a family of indices that measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services. The PPI is used as a short term indicator of inflationary trends, as an analytical tool for businesses and researchers, and by international organizations for economic monitoring and comparison.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) represents a family of indices that measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services. The PPI is used as a short term indicator of inflationary trends, as an analytical tool for businesses and researchers, and by international organizations for economic monitoring and comparison. The index for the Mining and Quarrying industry showed a decline from 143.4 to 136.3 for April 2014. This represented a downward movement in output prices for the industry of 5.0 per cent. This was as a result of a reduction of prices for alumina on the international market. The Manufacturing industry registered an increase of 0.8 per cent for the month of April. This movement was influenced mainly by increases in the prices of products within the major groups; ’Food, Beverages & Tobacco’ up 0.9 per cent, ’Refined Petroleum Products’ 0.6 per cent and ‘Chemicals and Chemical Products’ increasing by 0.4 per cent for the period.

The point-to-point movement for the period April 2013 to April 2014 indicated an increase of 9.8 per cent for the Mining and Quarrying industry. This was lower than the 11.7 per cent increase recorded for the previous period, March 2013 to March 2014. The point-to-point movement for the period under review for the Manufacturing industry registered an increase of 7.9 per cent in its index.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) Bulletin is a 12-page exclusive document including tables and graphs that is published monthly in keeping with the release of the CPI to members of the public. The Bulletin presents information on the general movement in prices for each of the following COICOP divisions.

• Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
• Clothing and Footwear
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels
• Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine, Household Maintenance

In addition, the CPI Bulletin presents an All Divisions – All Items index. Index numbers are presented for All Jamaica and three geographical regions namely; the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area, Other Urban Centres and the Rural Areas.

International Merchandise Trade Bulletin is published on a monthly basis and contains preliminarysummarydata on the movement of trade between Jamaica and our Trading partners. This report contains statistics on the Import, Export and Re-Export of Merchandise trade in general, as well as with our CARICOM Partners aggregated by the Sections of the Standard International Trade Classification System (SITC). The Bulletin also includes a more detailed report on our Domestic Exports, classified by Traditional and Non-traditional commodities.

February 2014

Total expenditure on imports during the first two months of 2014 was valued at US$884.1 million, a decrease of 20.9 per cent or US$233.3 million when compared to the same period in 2013. Earnings from total exports during the same period were valued at US$212.4 million, decreasing by US$107.9 million or 33.7 per cent. As a result, the trade deficit was US$671.8 million when compared to US$835.1 million in the similar 2013 period. Imports from the United States of America fell by approximately US$87.0 million or 21.9 per cent to US$310.2 million during this review period. This represented approximately 35.1 per cent of Jamaica’s total expenditure on imports. Total export earnings from the USA declined by 43.0 per cent to US$79.5 million, which represented 49.6 per cent of total exports. The trade deficit with the USA at the end of the two month period for 2014 stood at US$204.7 million, down from US$212.3 million for the similar period in 2013, a decline of US$7.5 million.