Raw materials prices rose in July as crude oil prices increased for a second month, Statistics Canada said today.

Meanwhile monthly prices for goods at the factory gate actually fell last month.

Prices for raw materials rose by 1.2% in July from June and were up 13.7% from July of last year.

Prices for manufactured goods at the plant gate were down 0.4% from June and by 0.3% from July of last year.

The government agency said lower prices for primary metal products, motor vehicles, chemical products, lumber and other wood products, pulp and paper products as well as electrical and communication products were partially offset by higher prices for petroleum products.

Prices that manufacturers paid for intermediate goods, those generally bought to make other products, fell 0.6% from June but were up by 0.1% from a year earlier.

Prices for finished goods fell by 0.1% in July from June and were down 0.7%% from July of last year.