MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean Consumer prices drop 0.1% in February

The February Consumer price index in Chile dropped 0.1%, accumulating 4.1% in the last twelve months and 0% over December 2005, according to a Friday release from the National Statistics Institute.

Transport was the item with the highest surge in February, 0.6%, with an accumulated two months 2.2% and 4.5% in the last twelve months.

Food prices on the other hand dropped 0.8% accumulating -1.3% in the first two months of 2006 and 4.5% in the last twelve months.

Other items that increased in February include Health Services (0.2%; 0.6% over December and 1.8% in the last twelve months); Education and Leisure 0.1%; 0% and 3.4%; Others, 1.1%; 1.2% and 5.5%.

Items with contracting prices besides Food include, Apparel, -0.7%; -1.5% and ? 0.5%; Housing, -0.1%; -0.3% and ? 5%; Housing equipment, 0%; 0.1% and ? 0.4%.

Wholesale prices in February jumped 1.3%, accumulating 3.3% in the first two months of 2006 and 5.9% in the last twelve months.

Chilean produced goods increased an average 0.2% and imported goods, 5.3%.

Among Chilean goods, the minerals sector jumped 3.8% but Fisheries dropped 3.9%.

Among imported goods, Minerals surged 14.3% and Industrial 3.2%.