Data from the Bank of Japan showed that prices of goods traded among companies fell in July for the 16th straight month. 
BOJ officials said that producer price index (PPI) was down 3.9% in July from a year earlier. 
The officials said cheaper crude-oil prices and the appreciation of the yen lowered producer prices of petroleum and coal products by nearly 20%. 
Prices of scrap iron fell about 18% due to a slowdown of the Chinese economy. Prices of copper and other nonferrous metals dropped more than 14%, (NHK WORLD) radio reported. 
The officials said that crude oil prices have risen since the beginning of this year, but not by a significant margin. 
They say oil and the yen's movement are expected to continue influencing producer prices, as domestic supply and demand are largely unchanged.