Australia's producer prices, excluding exports, increased 1.3% in the June quarter, following a 0.4% rise in the March quarter, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics published Friday.
The main drivers of quarterly growth were petroleum refining and petroleum fuel manufacturing, up nearly 38% due to higher oil prices following restricted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz; property operators, up 1% on strong demand and higher residential rents; and heavy and civil construction, which rose 2.3% due to higher freight and product costs following the Strait of Hormuz closure, the report said.
Selected producer price indexes rose across key sectors, including a 2.2% increase in manufacturing driven by petroleum and coal product manufacturing, a 1.4% rise in construction driven by house building, and an increase in transport, postal and warehousing services due to increased fuel prices.
On an annual basis, final demand growth rose 3.6% in the year to the June quarter, up from a 3.4% increase a year earlier.