WASHINGTON-Wholesale prices of pneumatic tires in February were unchanged from January levels, according to the latest Producer Price Index from the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Tread rubber prices, however, jumped 2.6 percent in the month, and were 9.4 percent higher than the year-earlier month.
Prices of repair materials and other tire sundries slipped 0.4 percent in the month, but jumped 5.5 percent in the 12-month comparison.
Prices of solid industrial and highway tires also grew 5.5 percent over the year and edged up 0.3 percent in the month.
Compared with February 1994, tire prices also showed little change, with those of passenger and truck/bus radials up just 0.1 percent. Within the latter category, prices of light truck radials slid 1 percent, while those of medium/heavy truck radials rose 2 percent.
Wholesale prices of non-radial truck/bus tires fell 3.4 percent over the course of the year.