The index of industrial producers' prices fell 0.4%, m-o-m, in November mainly due to a further decline in prices of crude oil and crude oil products on the world markets. Crude oil prices decreased by 18.5% in October and 8% in November. The decline lowered the price level of products from crude oil processing in refineries (by 8.2%).
Import and export prices declined 2.1% and 1.3%, respectively, in October. The biggest decreases in the former occurred in mineral fuels - crude oil and petrol (-10.4%). Compared to October 2000, import prices reduced by 6.9%, export prices by 2.7%. Thus, terms of trade improved by 4.5%, y-o-y.
CNB Vicegovernor Ludek Niedermayer said in an interview for the Czech Daily MF Dnes, that an intervention in FX market can be ruled out and now a possibility of using them even increased. Niedermayer also expressed his hope that an agreement with the government about management of the privatization receipts will be achieved by the end of this year.
The Czech Republic has the lowest birth rate of all 13 EU candidates, according to a report of the EU statistical office Eurostat.
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