Prices for Canadian manufactured goods at the factory gate were up in March, as higher prices were registered for gasoline and fuel oils, Statistics Canada said today.

Raw materials prices also increased in March, the result of higher prices for non-ferrous metals.

StatsCan said that prices charged by manufacturers were up 0.8% from February to March. The government agency said that higher prices for petroleum products, primary metal products, motor vehicles and other transport equipment were the major contributors to this monthly increase.

The 12-month change in the industrial products price index was 1.1%, up from February’s year-over-year increase of 0.7%; higher prices for petroleum products, primary metal products and chemical products were the major contributors to this annual increase.

Raw materials were up 0.8% from February to March, following a decrease of 3.2% in February and due primarily to higher prices for non-ferrous metals.

Compared to March of last year, raw materials cost factories 4.9% more, the lowest year-over-year change since March 2004.