Economic Indicators

2018 2019 2020

Download the CEPCI two weeks sooner at www.chemengonline.com/pci

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI)

625

(1957–59 = 100) Apr. ’20 Mar. ’20 Apr. ’19 Annual Index:
Prelim. Final Final
2012 = 584.6 600
CE Index_______________________________________________ 595.5 598.3 617.3
Equipment _____________________________________________ 723.5 726.2 754.4 2013 = 567.3
Heat exchangers & tanks __________________________________ 620.7 621.4 670.7
Process machinery ______________________________________ 725.4 724.7 731.3 2014 = 576.1 575

Pipe, valves & fittings _____________________________________ 944.3 954.7 976.7 2015 = 556.8
Process instruments _____________________________________ 411.3 416.8 419.7 550
Pumps & compressors ____________________________________ 1086.3 1085.2 1068.4 2016 = 541.7
Electrical equipment _____________________________________ 561.3 562.3 556.1 2017 = 567.5
Structural supports & misc. ________________________________ 777.8 778.5 834.0 525
Construction labor ________________________________________ 331.9 335.7 335.9 2018 = 603.1
Buildings ______________________________________________ 590.7 595.2 598.3 2019 = 607.5
Engineering & supervision __________________________________ 313.0 313.4 316.9 500
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Starting in April 2007, several data series for labor and compressors were converted to accommodate series IDs discontinued by the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Starting in March 2018, the data series for chemical industry special machinery was replaced
because the series was discontinued by BLS (see Chem. Eng., April 2018, p. 76–77.)

CURRENT BUSINESS INDICATORS LATEST PREVIOUS YEAR AGO

CPI output index (2012 = 100)_____________________________________________________ May '20 = 90.7 Apr. '20 = 88.7 Mar. '20 = 99.5 May '19 = 101.8
CPI value of output, $ billions _____________________________________________________ Apr. '20 = 1,593.4 Mar. '20 = 1,809.5 Feb. '20 = 1,987.5 Apr. '19 = 2,043.9
CPI operating rate, % ___________________________________________________________ May '20 = 67.4 Apr. '20 = 66.1 Mar. '20 = 73.9 May '19 = 76.1
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) _____________________________________ May '20 = 203.1 Apr. '20 = 211.9 Mar. '20 = 238.3 May '19 = 254.4
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2012 =100)* ____________________________________ May '20 = 87.2 Apr. '20 = 84.0 Mar. '20 = 99.4 May '19 = 104.4
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) _____________________________ May '20 = 183.7 Apr. '20 = 193.5 Mar. '20 = 186.8 May '19 = 184.9
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100)_______________________________ May '20 = 97.3 Apr. '20 = 99.1 Mar. '20 = 100.5 May '19 = 95.8

CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2000 = 100)† CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ Billions) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
110 2300 80

105
2000 75
100
1900
95 70
1800
90
65
1700
85
60
80 1600

75 1500 55
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

*Due to discontinuance, the Index of Industrial Activity has been replaced by the Industrial Production in Manufacturing index from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
†For the current month’s CPI output index values, the base year was changed from 2000 to 2012
Current business indicators provided by Global Insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.

Current trends

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T he preliminary value for the CE
Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top) for
April 2020 (the most recent available)
Feature your marketing message alongside this popular editorial department decreased compared to the previous
month’s value, with the values of all four
Each issue includes editorial departments that feature the current industry trends and major subindices (Equipment; Con-
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Meanwhile, the Current Business Indi-
cators (CBI; middle) showed a small re-
JASON BULLOCK TERRY DAVIS PETRA TRAUTES bound for the CPI output index and the
jbullock@chemengonline.com tdavis@chemengonline.com ptrautes@accessintel.com
713-974-0911 404-634-5123 +49 69 58604760 CPI operating rate after declines in April.
27206 However, other measures, including the
productivity index for chemicals and al-
lied products decreased, as did the CPI
value of output index for April.

48 Chemical Engineering www.chemengonline.com July 2020

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