2021.05.0609:05:00UTC+00Austria Wholesale Prices Rise; Trade Deficit Widens

Austria's wholesale prices rose for the third straight month in April, and the trade deficit increased in February, data from the from Statistics Austria showed on Thursday.

The wholesale price index grew 8.7 percent year-on-year in April, following a 6.9 percent rise in March.

Prices for scraps and residual materials accelerated 105.4 percent annually in April and those of rubber and plastics surged 59.9 percent. Prices for other petroleum products grew 51.3 percent.

On a month-on-month basis, the wholesale prices increased 0.6 percent in April, after a 1.6 percent rise in the prior month.

Data also showed that the trade deficit widened to EUR 316.747 million in February from EUR 232.847 million in the same month last year.

Exports grew 3.1 percent annually in February and imports rose 3.7 percent.

Trade with EU nations resulted in a trade deficit of EUR 547.606 million in February compared to EUR 466.838 million in the same month last year.

Another data from Statistics Austria showed that the an unadjusted retail sales real grew a 23.0 percent yearly in March and rose a nominal 23.6 percent.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales fell 1.3 percent monthly in March.

In the first quarter, retail sales volume rose a 1.5 percent yearly.