Market Data

Foundry and Forge Shop Products PPI: A Procurement Review Checklist

Foundry and Forge Shop Products, up about 3.7% from a year ago. This series covers foundry and forge shop products. It is broader than iron and steel castings and must not be presented as a casting-only production or cost measure.

The BLS Foundry and Forge Shop Products Producer Price Index (WPU1015) reads 296.49 index (1982=100) for Aug 2026, up about 3.7% from a year ago. The reference period identifies the observation; a later website refresh does not turn it into a daily price. This is a producer price index, not a delivered quote in dollars per unit.

This series covers foundry and forge shop products. It is broader than iron and steel castings and must not be presented as a casting-only production or cost measure.

Use a review trigger, not a trading signal

A difference between this PPI's growth rate and a steel mill PPI's growth rate does not isolate labor, energy, foundry margins or a fabrication premium. Their product baskets differ, and neither is a supplier's cost ledger.

A monthly price index cannot identify the cheapest day to buy. Start with the date material is required, available inventory, lead time and the cost of a stockout. Compare current quotes on equivalent delivery and payment terms. An apparent price saving that requires additional storage or financing may not reduce the total purchase cost.

Before approving the purchase

  • Match alloy, process, weight, tooling, machining allowance and acceptance requirements to the part being quoted. The observed product price includes more than metal input cost; a supplier's conversion cost needs its own evidence.
  • Check the observation month and the exact agency series used in any escalation clause.
  • Compare the quote with your previous comparable invoice, including freight and surcharges.
  • Document the reason for changing order timing and the operational risk of waiting.

Source and update notes

The source is BLS series WPU1015, also published by FRED at https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WPU1015. The linked data page provides the current observation and available history. A successful refresh changes readings only when the source returns changed data. Missing or failed observations must retain their original periods and be reported as unavailable or delayed.

Published 2026-07-13.