The preliminary value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) for March 2021 (the most recent available) indicates another large monthly rise, the sixth consecutive monthly increase. Similar to the story in February, the large uptick in March is linked largely to significant increases in producer prices for steel products, including carbon steel sheets, plates and bars. These increases resulted in higher values for the both the Equipment and Buildings subindices. The Construction Labor rose slightly, while the Engineering & Supervision subindex fell by a small amount in March. The current CEPCI value now sits at 9.6% higher than the corresponding value from March 2020. The Current Business Indicators for April show a dip in CPI Output Index.
2021 CEPCI Updates: March (prelim.) and February (final)
| By Scott Jenkins