Machinery and equipment price indexes

The Machinery and Equipment Price Index (MEPI) stood at 86.2 (1997=100) in the second quarter, up 0.8% from the previous quarter. The import component index rose 1.3%, while the domestic index edged up 0.1%. Compared with the second quarter of 2007, the total MEPI was down 3.5%, as the import index decreased 5.5% while the domestic index fell 0.2%.

All industries recorded increases in prices of machinery and equipment purchased in the second quarter. The manufacturing sector (+1.4%) contributed the most to the total MEPI quarterly increase. Among the sector's subcomponents, the largest contributors to the quarterly increase were transportation equipment manufacturing (+1.6%), paper manufacturing (+1.7%) and primary metal and fabricated metal product manufacturing (+1.5%). The second largest contributor to the total quarterly increase was mines, quarries and oil wells (+1.8%).

Among commodities, price increases for other industry specific machinery (+1.4%) and mining and oil and gas field machinery (+2.8%) were the largest contributors to the quarterly increase.

The US dollar increased 0.59% against its Canadian counterpart in the second quarter of 2008.

Available on CANSIM: tables 327-0041 and 327-0042.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2312.

The second quarter 2008 issue of Capital Expenditure Price Statistics (62-007-XWE, free) will be available in October.

For more information or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-866-230-2248; 613-951-9606; fax: 613-951-1539; prices-prix@statcan.gc.ca) or Adrian Fisher (613-951-9612; adrian.fisher@statcan.gc.ca), Prices Division.