Muscat: Key contributors to this increase include an 11% surge in prices for miscellaneous manufactured goods, a 6.7% rise in beverages and tobacco, and a 5.7% hike in food and live animals. The machinery and transportation equipment category saw a 5.3% increase, while chemicals and related materials, as well as raw materials, both rose by 4.3%. Manufactured goods classified by material edged up by 1.6%, and the group of vegetable and animal oils, fats, and waxes recorded a modest 0.9% increase.

However, the index for mineral fuels and related materials plummeted by 22.2%, highlighting a significant offset to the overall rise.

Despite the annual uptick, the third quarter of 2024 saw a 4.8% decline in the general import price index compared to the previous quarter. Prices for beverages and tobacco recorded the steepest drop at 22.4%, followed by mineral fuels and related materials at 11.6%, chemicals and related materials at 10.8%, and miscellaneous manufactured goods at 10.2%. Manufactured goods classified primarily by material and machinery and transportation equipment also saw decreases of 7.2% and 3.9%, respectively.

In contrast, raw materials experienced a notable 32% surge quarter-on-quarter, with vegetable and animal oils, fats, and waxes climbing by 9.2%, and food and live animals rising by 3.5%.