The Bank of Korea announced that, according to preliminary estimates, S Korea's Producer Price Index (PPI) for March rose 1.6% MoM, compared with a 0.6% increase in the previous month; it increased 4.1% YoY, versus a prior rise of 2.5%.Affected by the conflict in Iran since late February, the PPI for coal and petroleum products surged 31.9% MoM, compared with a 4% increase previously; on a YoY basis, it turned to a 26.7% increase from a prior decline of 8.1%. At the end of March, the S Korean government gazetted a ban on exports of domestically produced naphtha with immediate effect to ensure supply-demand stability. The ban is tentatively set for five months. Even shipments under signed contracts are prohibited unless approval is obtained from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (da/u)
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