"Commodity prices have increased sharply over the last two years," said Halickman. Prices across the board in most industries have gone up. Oil prices and the hurricanes have also put upward pressures on costs.
Commodity prices are expected to come down in 2006, she said. "In the middle of 2005, commodity prices were declining but higher energy prices caused prices to escalate." But the worst is over, Halickman declared. The markets are behaving normally - higher prices brought added production - and demand growth is forecast to slow.