Market Data

Foundry and Forge Shop Products PPI: Comparing Price Series Without Inventing a Cost Spread

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.

Compare changes, product definitions and periods

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.

Put each source's definition, reference month and units beside its value. Percentage changes within each series can be compared descriptively when the periods match. The difference between those growth rates is measured in percentage points; it is not a supplier margin or a dollar amount.

The evidence needed for a cost explanation

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.

A conversion-cost analysis requires quantities, actual purchased input prices, process yield, energy use, labor and overhead for the relevant operation. Aggregate product PPIs do not contain that cost stack. Use them to formulate a question for a supplier, then test it against transaction and production records.

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 2026-08-06.