22 April 2020
2020- n° 99In March 2020, oil price plummeted heavily, at its lowest level since January 2016 Prices of oil and raw material imports - March 2020
In March 2020, the prices of oil in euros plummeted (−47.3% after −10.9%). This was the fastest fall observed for more than 60 years. The prices in euros of imported commodities (excluding energy) decreased way more slightly (−3.9% after −0.4%). Indeed, the prices of industrial raw materials decreased again (−4.4% after −2.2%) and those of raw food materials fell back (−3.4% after +1.4%).
The last value of rapeseed oil is not available. February data has been attributed for March.
In March 2020, the prices of oil in euros plummeted (−47.3% after −10.9%). This was the fastest fall observed for more than 60 years. The prices in euros of imported commodities (excluding energy) decreased way more slightly (−3.9% after −0.4%). Indeed, the prices of industrial raw materials decreased again (−4.4% after −2.2%) and those of raw food materials fell back (−3.4% after +1.4%).
tableauImported raw materials (excluding energy)
Prices in foreign currencies | Prices in euros | |
---|---|---|
2013-01 | 106.6 | 106.6 |
2013-02 | 107.9 | 107.3 |
2013-03 | 104.8 | 107.1 |
2013-04 | 103.7 | 105.6 |
2013-05 | 102.4 | 104.5 |
2013-06 | 99.9 | 100.5 |
2013-07 | 102.1 | 103.4 |
2013-08 | 102.8 | 102.5 |
2013-09 | 100.0 | 99.5 |
2013-10 | 100.4 | 98.0 |
2013-11 | 100.9 | 99.4 |
2013-12 | 103.5 | 100.7 |
2014-01 | 102.8 | 100.4 |
2014-02 | 103.2 | 100.5 |
2014-03 | 104.8 | 100.9 |
2014-04 | 106.5 | 102.7 |
2014-05 | 103.3 | 100.1 |
2014-06 | 101.0 | 98.8 |
2014-07 | 103.0 | 101.1 |
2014-08 | 101.8 | 101.5 |
2014-09 | 98.0 | 100.7 |
2014-10 | 96.2 | 100.4 |
2014-11 | 95.7 | 101.3 |
2014-12 | 93.3 | 99.7 |
2015-01 | 89.6 | 101.1 |
2015-02 | 86.8 | 100.2 |
2015-03 | 83.9 | 101.4 |
2015-04 | 82.6 | 100.4 |
2015-05 | 84.1 | 98.7 |
2015-06 | 83.3 | 97.4 |
2015-07 | 80.4 | 95.7 |
2015-08 | 79.1 | 92.9 |
2015-09 | 78.1 | 91.0 |
2015-10 | 77.4 | 90.0 |
2015-11 | 74.4 | 90.3 |
2015-12 | 72.9 | 87.4 |
2016-01 | 72.3 | 87.1 |
2016-02 | 74.3 | 87.6 |
2016-03 | 77.7 | 91.6 |
2016-04 | 80.4 | 92.8 |
2016-05 | 80.1 | 92.5 |
2016-06 | 82.1 | 95.6 |
2016-07 | 84.4 | 99.8 |
2016-08 | 84.1 | 98.1 |
2016-09 | 83.0 | 96.8 |
2016-10 | 83.7 | 99.3 |
2016-11 | 89.2 | 107.8 |
2016-12 | 90.3 | 111.7 |
2017-01 | 92.1 | 113.3 |
2017-02 | 95.1 | 116.7 |
2017-03 | 94.5 | 115.5 |
2017-04 | 90.0 | 109.6 |
2017-05 | 89.0 | 105.3 |
2017-06 | 88.6 | 103.2 |
2017-07 | 91.8 | 104.2 |
2017-08 | 93.0 | 103.0 |
2017-09 | 91.3 | 100.1 |
2017-10 | 89.5 | 99.5 |
2017-11 | 90.2 | 100.6 |
2017-12 | 90.5 | 100.0 |
2018-01 | 93.5 | 100.3 |
2018-02 | 95.0 | 100.7 |
2018-03 | 94.1 | 99.9 |
2018-04 | 93.9 | 100.2 |
2018-05 | 95.3 | 105.5 |
2018-06 | 95.0 | 106.4 |
2018-07 | 90.7 | 101.5 |
2018-08 | 87.9 | 99.5 |
2018-09 | 86.6 | 97.1 |
2018-10 | 89.7 | 101.9 |
2018-11 | 88.8 | 101.9 |
2018-12 | 86.9 | 99.5 |
2019-01 | 88.8 | 101.4 |
2019-02 | 91.3 | 105.3 |
2019-03 | 90.8 | 104.7 |
2019-04 | 92.9 | 107.9 |
2019-05 | 92.0 | 107.3 |
2019-06 | 94.1 | 108.6 |
2019-07 | 95.9 | 111.5 |
2019-08 | 89.1 | 104.5 |
2019-09 | 88.5 | 104.9 |
2019-10 | 88.1 | 103.9 |
2019-11 | 88.8 | 104.7 |
2019-12 | 91.5 | 107.4 |
2020-01 | 91.7 | 108.1 |
2020-02 | 89.4 | 106.9 |
2020-03 | 87.2 | 102.7 |
graphiqueImported raw materials (excluding energy)

- Source: INSEE.
Oil prices plummeted heavily
In March 2020, the prices of North Sea crude oil (Brent) in euros dropped hardly (−47.3% after −10.9%) to an average of €29 per barrel, its lowest level since January 2016. In dollars, the drop was the same magnitude (−42.7% after −12.5%).
tableauOil (Brent)
Prices in dollars | Prices in euros | |
---|---|---|
2013-01 | 112.0 | 84.3 |
2013-02 | 116.4 | 87.1 |
2013-03 | 109.7 | 84.6 |
2013-04 | 103.8 | 79.5 |
2013-05 | 103.0 | 79.4 |
2013-06 | 102.8 | 78.0 |
2013-07 | 107.7 | 82.3 |
2013-08 | 110.1 | 82.8 |
2013-09 | 111.6 | 83.6 |
2013-10 | 109.4 | 80.2 |
2013-11 | 107.7 | 79.9 |
2013-12 | 110.7 | 80.7 |
2014-01 | 107.6 | 79.0 |
2014-02 | 108.7 | 79.6 |
2014-03 | 107.9 | 78.0 |
2014-04 | 108.0 | 78.1 |
2014-05 | 109.2 | 79.6 |
2014-06 | 111.9 | 82.3 |
2014-07 | 108.6 | 80.2 |
2014-08 | 103.5 | 77.7 |
2014-09 | 98.9 | 76.7 |
2014-10 | 88.7 | 70.0 |
2014-11 | 80.8 | 64.8 |
2014-12 | 64.2 | 52.2 |
2015-01 | 50.1 | 43.1 |
2015-02 | 58.2 | 51.3 |
2015-03 | 57.3 | 52.8 |
2015-04 | 59.5 | 55.4 |
2015-05 | 64.1 | 57.5 |
2015-06 | 61.5 | 54.8 |
2015-07 | 56.6 | 51.4 |
2015-08 | 46.6 | 41.9 |
2015-09 | 47.6 | 42.4 |
2015-10 | 48.4 | 43.1 |
2015-11 | 44.3 | 41.2 |
2015-12 | 38.0 | 35.0 |
2016-01 | 30.7 | 28.3 |
2016-02 | 32.2 | 29.0 |
2016-03 | 38.2 | 34.4 |
2016-04 | 41.6 | 36.7 |
2016-05 | 46.7 | 41.3 |
2016-06 | 48.2 | 43.0 |
2016-07 | 45.3 | 41.0 |
2016-08 | 46.8 | 41.8 |
2016-09 | 47.7 | 42.5 |
2016-10 | 51.4 | 46.6 |
2016-11 | 47.1 | 43.7 |
2016-12 | 54.9 | 52.1 |
2017-01 | 55.4 | 52.2 |
2017-02 | 56.0 | 52.6 |
2017-03 | 52.6 | 49.2 |
2017-04 | 53.8 | 50.1 |
2017-05 | 51.4 | 46.5 |
2017-06 | 47.6 | 42.4 |
2017-07 | 49.1 | 42.6 |
2017-08 | 51.9 | 44.0 |
2017-09 | 55.5 | 46.6 |
2017-10 | 57.5 | 48.9 |
2017-11 | 62.7 | 53.4 |
2017-12 | 64.4 | 54.4 |
2018-01 | 69.1 | 56.6 |
2018-02 | 65.3 | 52.9 |
2018-03 | 66.0 | 53.5 |
2018-04 | 72.0 | 58.7 |
2018-05 | 76.9 | 65.2 |
2018-06 | 74.4 | 63.7 |
2018-07 | 74.3 | 63.5 |
2018-08 | 72.5 | 62.8 |
2018-09 | 78.9 | 67.7 |
2018-10 | 81.0 | 70.6 |
2018-11 | 64.7 | 57.0 |
2018-12 | 56.5 | 49.8 |
2019-01 | 59.4 | 52.0 |
2019-02 | 64.0 | 56.4 |
2019-03 | 66.1 | 58.5 |
2019-04 | 71.2 | 63.4 |
2019-05 | 71.2 | 63.6 |
2019-06 | 64.3 | 56.9 |
2019-07 | 63.9 | 57.0 |
2019-08 | 59.0 | 53.1 |
2019-09 | 62.8 | 57.1 |
2019-10 | 59.7 | 54.0 |
2019-11 | 63.2 | 57.2 |
2019-12 | 67.2 | 60.4 |
2020-01 | 63.6 | 57.3 |
2020-02 | 55.7 | 51.1 |
2020-03 | 31.9 | 28.8 |
graphiqueOil (Brent)

- Source: INSEE.
tableauPetroleum
prices | Changes (%) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
of lost months | over the last month | over the last 3 months | over the last 12 months | |
Brent in $ per barrel | 31.9 | -42.7 | -52.5 | -51.7 |
Brent in € per barrel | 28.8 | -43.7 | -52.4 | -50.8 |
Gasoline cts €/$ | 21.2 | -44.8 | -47.8 | -50.0 |
Gas Oil | 312.0 | -31.2 | -42.1 | -42.3 |
Heavy fuel | 199.8 | -28.0 | -22.0 | -47.5 |
Naphtha | 269.1 | -37.1 | -44.2 | -42.7 |
- Prices are in euros per tonne unless otherwise specified
- Source : Insee
Industrial commodity prices decreased again
In March 2020, the prices of industrial raw materials decreased again (−4.4% after −2.2%) driven by mineral materials prices (−4.7% after −4.6%), of which those of non ferrous metals (−8.0% after −4.1%). The prices of precious metals fell back (−7.7% after +4.0%) and those of ferrous metals were virtually stable . The prices of agricultural raw materials fell back clearly (−2.7% after +9.4%). Those of tropical wood decreased (−5.8% after +0.9%) as those of as sawn softwood (−1.4% after +1.8%) and hide (−9.5% after +1.8%). The prices of natural textile fibres decreased again (−10.4% after−1.3%) as well as natural rubber (−10.1% after −7.1%). The price of pulp increased less than in February (+1.8% after +21.8%).
tableauIndustrial raw materials
Prices in foreign currencies | Prices in euros | |
---|---|---|
2013-01 | 103.0 | 103.0 |
2013-02 | 104.8 | 104.0 |
2013-03 | 98.5 | 100.8 |
2013-04 | 95.3 | 97.1 |
2013-05 | 90.4 | 92.4 |
2013-06 | 86.5 | 87.0 |
2013-07 | 89.0 | 90.2 |
2013-08 | 93.3 | 92.9 |
2013-09 | 92.1 | 91.5 |
2013-10 | 92.5 | 90.0 |
2013-11 | 93.3 | 91.6 |
2013-12 | 93.3 | 90.2 |
2014-01 | 91.5 | 89.0 |
2014-02 | 89.2 | 86.5 |
2014-03 | 86.7 | 83.0 |
2014-04 | 88.4 | 84.7 |
2014-05 | 85.1 | 82.2 |
2014-06 | 83.6 | 81.4 |
2014-07 | 86.8 | 84.9 |
2014-08 | 86.5 | 86.0 |
2014-09 | 82.8 | 85.0 |
2014-10 | 80.7 | 84.3 |
2014-11 | 79.5 | 84.3 |
2014-12 | 76.3 | 81.8 |
2015-01 | 72.3 | 82.2 |
2015-02 | 70.0 | 81.5 |
2015-03 | 67.6 | 82.4 |
2015-04 | 66.0 | 80.9 |
2015-05 | 69.1 | 81.7 |
2015-06 | 67.7 | 79.7 |
2015-07 | 62.5 | 74.9 |
2015-08 | 61.1 | 72.2 |
2015-09 | 61.4 | 72.0 |
2015-10 | 59.9 | 70.2 |
2015-11 | 55.8 | 68.3 |
2015-12 | 53.7 | 64.9 |
2016-01 | 53.1 | 64.3 |
2016-02 | 55.9 | 66.3 |
2016-03 | 60.4 | 71.7 |
2016-04 | 62.7 | 72.9 |
2016-05 | 60.8 | 70.8 |
2016-06 | 60.2 | 70.6 |
2016-07 | 63.6 | 75.7 |
2016-08 | 65.0 | 76.4 |
2016-09 | 63.2 | 74.3 |
2016-10 | 64.4 | 76.9 |
2016-11 | 71.7 | 87.4 |
2016-12 | 74.9 | 93.3 |
2017-01 | 75.2 | 93.1 |
2017-02 | 80.2 | 99.0 |
2017-03 | 79.4 | 97.8 |
2017-04 | 74.0 | 90.8 |
2017-05 | 70.5 | 84.0 |
2017-06 | 68.6 | 80.4 |
2017-07 | 73.1 | 83.6 |
2017-08 | 78.3 | 87.4 |
2017-09 | 78.5 | 86.8 |
2017-10 | 76.5 | 85.7 |
2017-11 | 77.8 | 87.3 |
2017-12 | 79.9 | 89.0 |
2018-01 | 84.0 | 90.8 |
2018-02 | 84.8 | 90.5 |
2018-03 | 81.0 | 86.5 |
2018-04 | 81.1 | 87.1 |
2018-05 | 82.3 | 91.8 |
2018-06 | 81.9 | 92.4 |
2018-07 | 77.8 | 87.8 |
2018-08 | 76.8 | 87.6 |
2018-09 | 76.2 | 86.1 |
2018-10 | 77.9 | 89.3 |
2018-11 | 76.7 | 88.9 |
2018-12 | 74.8 | 86.5 |
2019-01 | 76.7 | 88.5 |
2019-02 | 82.3 | 95.5 |
2019-03 | 81.8 | 95.3 |
2019-04 | 83.6 | 97.9 |
2019-05 | 83.5 | 98.3 |
2019-06 | 86.0 | 100.3 |
2019-07 | 90.2 | 105.9 |
2019-08 | 79.9 | 94.5 |
2019-09 | 80.5 | 96.3 |
2019-10 | 78.5 | 93.6 |
2019-11 | 77.3 | 92.0 |
2019-12 | 80.0 | 94.8 |
2020-01 | 81.1 | 96.3 |
2020-02 | 76.8 | 92.7 |
2020-03 | 74.5 | 88.6 |
graphiqueIndustrial raw materials

- Source: INSEE.
Food commodity prices fell back
In euros, the prices of imported raw food materials fell back (−3.4% after +1.4%) like the prices of seafood products (−6.0% after +8.6%) and sugar (−22.8% after +7.9%). The prices of oil seeds and vegetable oils decreased again (−2.4% after−0.9%) as well as those of tropical foodstuffs (−2.8% after −0.5%). Only the prices of meats (+0.3% after−3.5%) and cereals (+2.9% after +0.5%) increased.
tableauFood
Prices in foreign currencies | Prices in euros | |
---|---|---|
2013-01 | 111.4 | 111.5 |
2013-02 | 112.2 | 111.8 |
2013-03 | 112.9 | 115.2 |
2013-04 | 114.5 | 116.4 |
2013-05 | 117.7 | 120.0 |
2013-06 | 117.0 | 117.8 |
2013-07 | 118.6 | 120.2 |
2013-08 | 114.8 | 114.8 |
2013-09 | 110.2 | 109.8 |
2013-10 | 110.6 | 108.3 |
2013-11 | 110.6 | 109.4 |
2013-12 | 116.5 | 114.1 |
2014-01 | 117.0 | 114.8 |
2014-02 | 120.6 | 118.0 |
2014-03 | 127.3 | 123.3 |
2014-04 | 129.2 | 125.2 |
2014-05 | 125.9 | 122.4 |
2014-06 | 122.7 | 120.4 |
2014-07 | 123.1 | 121.3 |
2014-08 | 121.0 | 120.9 |
2014-09 | 117.1 | 120.2 |
2014-10 | 115.6 | 120.6 |
2014-11 | 115.8 | 122.4 |
2014-12 | 114.4 | 122.0 |
2015-01 | 111.4 | 125.0 |
2015-02 | 108.1 | 123.8 |
2015-03 | 104.6 | 125.5 |
2015-04 | 103.6 | 125.1 |
2015-05 | 102.9 | 120.1 |
2015-06 | 102.9 | 119.7 |
2015-07 | 103.4 | 122.3 |
2015-08 | 102.3 | 119.5 |
2015-09 | 99.4 | 115.3 |
2015-10 | 99.7 | 115.4 |
2015-11 | 98.3 | 118.6 |
2015-12 | 97.7 | 116.6 |
2016-01 | 97.6 | 116.9 |
2016-02 | 98.3 | 115.2 |
2016-03 | 99.9 | 117.0 |
2016-04 | 103.1 | 118.2 |
2016-05 | 105.1 | 120.5 |
2016-06 | 111.1 | 128.5 |
2016-07 | 111.5 | 131.1 |
2016-08 | 108.8 | 125.9 |
2016-09 | 108.7 | 125.9 |
2016-10 | 108.8 | 128.2 |
2016-11 | 111.3 | 133.5 |
2016-12 | 109.1 | 134.3 |
2017-01 | 113.5 | 139.0 |
2017-02 | 113.8 | 138.9 |
2017-03 | 113.3 | 137.9 |
2017-04 | 110.3 | 133.6 |
2017-05 | 112.7 | 132.6 |
2017-06 | 114.5 | 132.6 |
2017-07 | 115.7 | 130.6 |
2017-08 | 111.4 | 122.7 |
2017-09 | 107.1 | 116.7 |
2017-10 | 105.7 | 116.8 |
2017-11 | 105.7 | 117.0 |
2017-12 | 103.4 | 113.5 |
2018-01 | 104.8 | 111.8 |
2018-02 | 107.2 | 113.0 |
2018-03 | 110.5 | 116.5 |
2018-04 | 109.8 | 116.3 |
2018-05 | 111.5 | 122.5 |
2018-06 | 111.2 | 123.6 |
2018-07 | 106.6 | 118.5 |
2018-08 | 101.4 | 114.1 |
2018-09 | 99.2 | 110.5 |
2018-10 | 104.3 | 117.3 |
2018-11 | 103.8 | 118.0 |
2018-12 | 101.9 | 115.5 |
2019-01 | 103.7 | 117.4 |
2019-02 | 102.1 | 117.2 |
2019-03 | 101.6 | 116.1 |
2019-04 | 104.0 | 119.9 |
2019-05 | 102.2 | 118.1 |
2019-06 | 103.6 | 118.5 |
2019-07 | 102.1 | 117.7 |
2019-08 | 100.2 | 116.5 |
2019-09 | 98.1 | 115.2 |
2019-10 | 99.5 | 116.5 |
2019-11 | 102.9 | 120.3 |
2019-12 | 105.6 | 122.8 |
2020-01 | 104.4 | 122.4 |
2020-02 | 104.7 | 124.1 |
2020-03 | 102.5 | 119.9 |
graphiqueFood

- Source: INSEE.
tableauImported raw materials (excluding energy) in euros
Index of las month | changes (in%) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
over the last month | over the last 3 months | over the last 12 months | ||
Food total | 119.9 | -3.4 | -2.4 | 3.2 |
Tropical foodstuffs | 97.4 | -2.8 | -7.7 | 10.4 |
Oil seeds, vegetable oils | 102.5 | -2.4 | -2.6 | 2.8 |
Cereals | 112.3 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 15.2 |
Sugar | 63.7 | -22.8 | -10.9 | -3.4 |
Meat | 140.4 | 0.3 | -1.5 | -4.8 |
Seafood products | 130.3 | -6.0 | 1.0 | 3.4 |
Industrial raw materials | 88.6 | -4.4 | -6.5 | -7.0 |
Agricultural raw materials | 95.9 | -2.7 | -1.2 | -16.1 |
Natural Fibres | 89.5 | -10.4 | -8.2 | -16.5 |
Natural rubber | 43.8 | -10.1 | -15.8 | -15.4 |
Hides | 49.4 | -9.5 | -2.8 | -16.6 |
Wood pulp | 108.2 | 1.8 | 3.1 | -20.5 |
Tropical wood | 95.2 | -5.8 | -5.0 | -3.9 |
Sawn softwood | 156.1 | -1.4 | 0.5 | -8.4 |
Minerals | 86.1 | -4.7 | -7.3 | -5.3 |
Ferrous metals | 74.8 | 0.2 | -3.2 | 4.5 |
Non-ferrous metals | 86.0 | -8.0 | -11.5 | -16.2 |
Precious metals | 131.0 | -7.7 | 1.5 | 17.5 |
All commodities | 102.7 | -3.9 | -4.3 | -1.9 |
- Source : INSEE
For further information :
The relevant time series and a user guide are available at the bottom of this page.
Crude oil: from 1986, the price of Brent gradually established as a representative reference price of European supplies.
Petroleum products: prices of petroleum are quotations from the Rotterdam market which supplies European market.
Indices of non-energy raw materials imported by France: the indices calculated by INSEE are monthly averages of raw materials prices, weighted by their share in the French imports of raw materials (2010 = 100).
Next issue: 20 May 2020 at 12.00 pm