According to the latest data released by Statistics South Africa, in May this year the country's producer price index (PPI) for the basic iron and steel industry increased by 1.1 percent compared to April and was up 10.1 percent compared to May 2013.
Meanwhile, in April this year the PPI for exported basic iron and steel in South Africa decreased by 1.6 percent compared to March and was up 16.7 percent year on year, while the index for exported products of iron and steel increased by 0.7 percent month on month and by 4.4 percent year on year. In addition, in South Africa the PPI for imported basic metals in April this year increased by 1.9 percent month on month and was up 12.6 percent year on year.