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Economic News Release
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U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes News Release


Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until                                   USDL-10-1424
8:30 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Technical information: (202) 691-7101 * MXPinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/mxp
Media contact:	       (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov


                             U.S. IMPORT AND EXPORT PRICE INDEXES - SEPTEMBER 2010

U.S. import prices fell 0.3 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, 
following a 0.6 percent increase the previous month. Declining fuel prices more than offset an increase in 
nonfuel prices. In contrast, the price index for U.S. exports rose 0.6 percent in September after a 0.8 percent 
rise in August.

Imports


All Imports: Import prices fell 0.3 percent in September after rising 0.6 percent in August, the only monthly 
advance since April. The index rose 3.5 percent over the past year, the smallest increase on a 12-month basis 
since a 3.4 percent advance for the November 2008-09 period.

Fuel Imports: A 3.1 percent drop in fuel prices drove the September decline in import prices. The downturn 
followed increases of 1.7 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively, the previous two months. Falling prices for 
both petroleum products and natural gas, down 3.1 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively, contributed to the 
overall decline in fuel prices. Despite the September decrease, fuel prices rose 7.1 percent over the past 12 
months.       

All Imports Excluding Fuel: In contrast, nonfuel prices rose 0.3 percent for the second consecutive month 
after recording similar declines of 0.3 percent in July and 0.4 percent in June. Higher prices for nonfuel 
industrial supplies and materials, finished goods, and foods, feeds, and beverages all contributed to the 
overall advance in September. The price index for nonfuel imports also rose over the past year, increasing 2.6 
percent, an advance that was primarily driven by an 11.7 percent increase in nonfuel industrial supplies and 
materials prices.   


Table A. Percent changes
Month IMPORTS EXPORTS
All
imports(1)
Fuel
imports
Nonfuel
imports(1)
All
exports
Agri-
cultural
exports
Non-
agricultural
exports

2009

September

0.2 -1.3 0.4 -0.2 -2.9 0.1

October

0.8 3.0 0.4 0.0 -0.7 0.1

November

1.5 6.3 0.3 0.8 3.9 0.5

December

0.2 -0.2 0.4 0.7 1.8 0.6

2010

January

1.2 4.4 0.4 0.8 1.3 0.7

February

-0.1 -0.7 0.1 -0.3 -4.0 0.1

March

0.4 1.4 0.2 0.7 1.9 0.6

April

1.1 2.6 0.6 1.1 -0.4 1.3

May

-0.8 -5.1 0.4 0.5 1.6 0.3

June

(r)-1.2 (r)-3.8 (r)-0.4 -0.7 0.0 -0.8

July

(r)0.0 1.0 (r)-0.3 (r)-0.1 -0.2 (r)-0.1

August

0.6 1.7 0.3 0.8 (r)4.1 0.5

September

-0.3 -3.1 0.3 0.6 2.4 0.3

Sept. 2008 to 2009

-12.0 -34.0 -4.2 -5.6 -16.7 -4.4

Sept. 2009 to 2010

3.5 7.1 2.6 5.0 12.1 4.3

Footnotes
(1) May 2010 data were corrected with the issuance of this release.
(r) Revised

Exports

All Exports: Export prices rose for the second consecutive month in September, increasing 0.6 percent after 
a 0.8 percent advance in August. Rising prices for nonagricultural exports and agricultural exports each 
contributed to the overall September increase. The price index for overall exports advanced 5.0 percent for 
the year ended in September, the largest year-over-year increase since a 5.6 percent rise for the May 2009-10 
period.

Agricultural Exports: Prices for agricultural exports rose 2.4 percent in September after a 4.1 percent 
advance the previous month. The September increase was led by higher corn prices, up 10.4 percent, and a 
9.5 percent rise in wheat prices. The price indexes for corn and wheat were up 5.1 percent and 31.1 percent, 
respectively, in August. Rising corn and wheat prices also contributed to the 12.1 percent increase in 
agricultural export prices over the past 12 months.

All Exports Excluding Agriculture: Nonagricultural export prices advanced 0.3 percent in September 
following a 0.5 percent increase in August. The rise was driven by a 0.6 percent increase in nonagricultural 
industrial supplies and materials prices and a 1.0 percent jump in prices for consumer goods. The price index 
for nonagricultural exports rose 4.3 percent for the year ended in September, mostly led by a 12.7 percent 
increase in nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials prices over the same period.

 					

                                        SELECTED SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Import Prices

Nonfuel Industrial Supplies and Materials: The price index for nonfuel industrial supplies and materials 
prices rose 1.3 percent in September after ticking up 0.1 percent in August. The September advance was led 
by a 2.8 percent increase in unfinished metals prices, a 1.8 percent rise in finished metal prices, and a 1.0 
percent gain in chemical prices. Nonfuel industrial supplies and materials rose 11.7 percent over the past 
year, driven by a 20.4 percent advance in unfinished metals prices.    

Finished Goods: Prices for imported finished goods were up overall in September, led by a 0.2 percent 
increase in automotive vehicles prices and a 0.1 percent advance in the price index for consumer goods. 
Capital goods prices were unchanged in September as a 0.2 percent increase in capital goods prices 
excluding computers was offset by a 0.3 percent drop in computers, peripherals, and semiconductors prices.
 
Foods, Feeds, and Beverages: Foods, feeds, and beverages prices increased 0.8 percent in September after 
a 2.1 percent rise the previous month. The advance for September was driven by an 8.4 percent jump in 
coffee prices, which rose 36.7 percent over the past year, and a 2.1 percent rise in fish and shellfish prices. A 
3.8 percent downturn in vegetable prices somewhat offset the overall advance.   

Imports by Locality of Origin: Prices of imports from China fell 0.2 percent in September and also 
declined 0.2 percent over the past 12 months. The price index for imports from Mexico also fell in 
September, edging down 0.1 percent. In contrast, import prices from the European Union and from Japan 
each ticked up 0.1 percent in September. The price index for imports from Canada was unchanged.  

Transportation Services: Import air passenger fares fell for the third consecutive month, declining 3.1 
percent in September. A 6.4 percent drop in Asian fares was the largest contributor to the overall decrease, 
and European fares and Latin American/Caribbean fares declined as well. Despite the recent decreases, 
import air passenger fares rose 16.7 percent over the past year. The price index for import air freight ticked 
up 0.2 percent in September and rose 21.1 percent over the past 12 months. 

Export Prices
 
Nonagricultural Industrial Supplies and Materials: Nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials 
prices rose 0.6 percent in September following a 1.6 percent rise in August. The September advance was 
primarily led by a 2.6 percent increase in nonferrous metals prices and a 0.9 percent rise in chemicals prices, 
which more than offset a 1.2 percent decline in fuel prices. 
 
Finished Goods: Finished goods prices were mostly up in September, with consumer goods prices rising 1.0 
percent and prices for automotive vehicles ticking up 0.1 percent. The price index for capital goods was 
unchanged.        

Transportation Services: Export air passenger fares fell 7.2 percent in September, led by a 16.4 percent 
drop in Asian fares. Overall, export air passenger fares rose 23.6 percent for the year ended in September. 
Export air freight prices increased 0.5 percent in September after a similar 0.6 percent rise in August. The 
index advanced 3.5 percent over the past year. 
		
Import and Export Price Index data for October 2010 are scheduled for release on Wednesday, 
November 10, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. (EST).

Table 1. U.S. import price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: September 2009 to September 2010
[2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description End
Use
Relative
import-
ance
Aug.
2010(1)
Index Percent change
Aug.
2010
Sept.
2010
Annual Monthly
Sept.
2009
to
Sept.
2010
May
2010
to
June
2010
June
2010
to
July
2010
July
2010
to
Aug.
2010
Aug.
2010
to
Sept.
2010

All commodities

  100.000 125.9 125.5 3.5 -1.2 0.0 0.6 -0.3

All imports excluding petroleum

  80.841 110.7 111.0 2.9 -0.4 -0.2 0.2 0.3

All imports excluding fuels (Dec. 2001=100)

  79.399 114.4 114.8 2.6 -0.4 -0.3 0.3 0.3

Foods, feeds, & beverages

0

4.907 152.3 153.5 9.2 -1.6 0.3 2.1 0.8

Agricultural foods, feeds & beverages, excluding distilled beverages

00

3.803 170.2 171.1 9.1 -2.2 0.0 2.5 0.5

Nonagricultural foods (fish, distilled beverages)

01

1.104 111.9 113.6 9.1 0.5 1.3 1.2 1.5

Industrial supplies & materials

1

34.954 201.8 199.2 8.9 -3.0 0.2 1.0 -1.3

Industrial supplies & materials excluding petroleum

  15.795 150.2 151.5 12.7 -1.6 -0.7 -0.3 0.9

Industrial supplies & materials excluding fuels (Dec. 2001=100)

  14.353 167.3 169.4 11.7 -1.7 -1.1 0.1 1.3

Industrial supplies & materials, durable

  8.989 160.6 163.3 12.1 -2.1 -1.8 -0.1 1.7

Industrial supplies & materials nondurable excluding petroleum

  5.364 137.9 137.7 13.8 -0.7 0.8 -0.5 -0.1

Fuels & lubricants

10

20.601 252.4 244.7 7.1 -3.8 1.0 1.7 -3.1

Petroleum & petroleum products

100

19.159 275.2 266.8 5.8 -4.1 0.9 2.0 -3.1

Crude

10000

14.176 281.7 274.2 6.3 -3.4 1.1 2.2 -2.7

Fuels, n.e.s.-coals & gas

101

1.201 124.5 120.4 30.7 -0.1 3.8 -4.2 -3.3

Gas-natural

10110

0.899 111.3 106.4 39.1 -0.2 5.1 -3.2 -4.4

Paper & paper base stocks

11

0.741 115.9 116.0 17.1 2.5 0.6 -0.3 0.1

Materials associated with nondurable supplies & materials

12

4.700 147.1 148.1 9.9 -1.5 0.1 0.5 0.7

Selected building materials

13

1.337 124.8 124.5 4.7 -1.3 -4.2 -1.2 -0.2

Unfinished metals related to durable goods

14

4.166 239.0 245.6 20.4 -3.6 -2.4 0.1 2.8

Finished metals related to durable goods

15

1.848 146.5 149.2 8.8 -0.9 -0.3 0.3 1.8

Nonmetals related to durable goods

16

1.561 107.6 107.7 3.3 -0.3 0.3 0.1 0.1

Capital goods

2

23.273 91.6 91.6 -0.3 -0.1 -0.1 0.2 0.0

Electric generating equipment

20

2.966 112.1 112.5 2.0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.4

Nonelectrical machinery

21

18.303 86.0 86.0 -0.6 -0.1 -0.2 0.2 0.0

Transportation equipment excluding motor vehicles (Dec. 2001=100)

22

2.004 121.4 121.5 -1.4 -0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1

Automotive vehicles, parts & engines

3

12.168 109.1 109.3 0.6 0.0 0.4 0.2 0.2

Consumer goods, excluding automotives

4

24.698 104.3 104.4 0.3 -0.2 -0.2 0.1 0.1

Nondurables, manufactured

40

11.608 109.8 109.9 1.9 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.1

Durables, manufactured

41

11.865 99.1 99.1 -1.6 -0.5 -0.7 0.0 0.0

Nonmanufactured consumer goods

42

1.225 103.1 103.0 1.8 -0.6 -0.5 1.2 -0.1

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2008 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 2. U.S. export price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: September 2009 to September 2010
[2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description End
Use
Relative
import-
ance
Aug.
2010(1)
Index Percent change
Aug.
2010
Sept.
2010
Annual Monthly
Sept.
2009
to
Sept.
2010
May
2010
to
June
2010
June
2010
to
July
2010
July
2010
to
Aug.
2010
Aug.
2010
to
Sept.
2010

All commodities

  100.000 123.1 123.8 5.0 -0.7 -0.1 0.8 0.6

Agricultural commodities

  9.126 171.8 175.9 12.1 0.0 -0.2 4.1 2.4

Nonagricultural commodities

  90.874 119.6 120.0 4.3 -0.8 -0.1 0.5 0.3

Foods, feeds, & beverages

0

8.235 171.1 174.8 10.5 -0.4 -0.3 4.3 2.2

Agricultural foods, feeds & beverages, excluding distilled beverages

00

7.653 173.9 177.5 10.5 -0.4 -0.4 4.7 2.1

Nonagricultural foods (fish, distilled beverages)

01

0.582 148.4 152.2 10.9 -0.1 0.3 0.5 2.6

Industrial supplies & materials

1

31.710 161.5 162.8 13.1 -1.5 -0.5 1.6 0.8

Industrial supplies & materials, durable

  12.299 165.5 167.5 11.1 -1.3 -0.3 0.3 1.2

Industrial supplies & materials, nondurable

  19.411 159.9 160.8 14.4 -1.5 -0.6 2.4 0.6

Agricultural industrial supplies & materials

10

1.473 165.8 172.1 21.0 2.1 0.9 1.1 3.8

Nonagricultural industrial supplies & materials

  30.237 161.6 162.6 12.7 -1.6 -0.6 1.6 0.6

Fuels & lubricants

11

6.081 215.3 212.7 23.7 -3.3 -1.7 5.3 -1.2

Nonagricultural supplies & materials excluding fuels & building materials

12

23.143 156.6 158.4 11.0 -1.3 -0.3 0.8 1.1

Selected building materials

13

1.013 117.3 117.1 2.7 0.4 -0.7 -0.5 -0.2

Capital goods

2

38.109 103.5 103.5 0.0 -0.3 -0.1 0.1 0.0

Electrical generating equipment

20

3.541 108.8 108.8 1.3 0.2 -0.5 0.1 0.0

Nonelectrical machinery

21

27.801 94.3 94.3 -0.6 -0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0

Transportation equipment excluding motor vehicles (Dec. 2001=100)

22

6.767 140.0 140.1 2.1 -0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1

Automotive vehicles, parts & engines

3

9.116 108.5 108.6 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1

Consumer goods, excluding automotives

4

12.830 110.5 111.6 2.2 -0.4 0.4 -0.3 1.0

Nondurables, manufactured

40

5.899 112.2 112.9 3.2 -0.6 0.1 0.5 0.6

Durables, manufactured

41

5.617 107.7 109.4 -0.1 0.2 0.7 -1.2 1.6

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2008 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 3. U.S. import price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: September 2009 to September 2010
[December 2005=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description NAICS Relative
import-
ance
Aug.
2010(1)
Index Percent change
Aug.
2010
Sept.
2010
Annual Monthly
Sept.
2009
to
Sept.
2010
May
2010
to
June
2010
June
2010
to
July
2010
July
2010
to
Aug.
2010
Aug.
2010
to
Sept.
2010

Nonmanufactured articles

  18.040 126.9 124.1 9.8 -3.5 1.1 2.1 -2.2

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

11

1.871 153.1 153.4 15.6 -4.0 -1.2 4.4 0.2

Crop production

111

1.334 159.9 159.4 13.9 -4.8 -1.2 5.4 -0.3

Mining

21

16.169 124.1 121.0 9.2 -3.5 1.2 1.9 -2.5

Mining (except oil and gas) (Dec. 2006=100)

212

0.549 139.2 142.2 9.6 3.9 0.9 -0.8 2.2

Manufactured articles

  81.431 110.0 110.1 2.2 -0.5 -0.3 0.2 0.1

Manufactured goods, part 1

31

10.318 110.6 110.9 3.6 0.1 0.7 0.5 0.3

Food manufacturing

311

2.701 131.5 132.8 12.6 0.6 1.5 1.6 1.0

Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing

312

0.918 108.7 108.7 1.2 -0.8 0.1 0.5 0.0

Textile product mills

314

0.794 103.4 103.6 4.2 0.4 1.3 0.0 0.2

Apparel manufacturing

315

3.970 101.6 101.6 -0.3 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.0

Leather and allied product manufacturing

316

1.530 107.8 107.9 0.7 0.3 0.7 0.1 0.1

Manufactured goods, part 2

32

18.035 121.8 120.7 4.9 -1.3 -0.4 0.2 -0.9

Wood product manufacturing

321

0.805 102.0 101.5 7.5 -2.5 -6.9 -1.3 -0.5

Paper manufacturing

322

1.263 109.3 109.4 10.5 1.8 0.6 -0.2 0.1

Petroleum and coal products manufacturing

324

4.008 124.1 118.3 1.5 -4.4 0.0 0.8 -4.7

Chemical manufacturing

325

9.026 125.9 126.3 6.0 -0.7 -0.4 0.2 0.3

Plastics and rubber products manufacturing

326

1.823 115.9 116.0 3.6 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.1

Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing

327

1.002 121.6 122.1 2.1 0.1 0.7 -0.1 0.4

Manufactured goods, part 3

33

53.078 106.3 106.6 1.0 -0.6 -0.3 0.1 0.3

Primary metal manufacturing

331

4.859 157.7 161.6 19.3 -3.5 -2.2 0.2 2.5

Fabricated metal product manufacturing

332

2.738 118.8 118.7 2.6 0.1 0.3 0.2 -0.1

Machinery manufacturing

333

6.817 113.6 114.0 1.3 -0.2 0.2 0.4 0.4

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

334

14.934 86.4 86.3 -3.0 -0.5 -0.9 -0.1 -0.1

Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing

335

3.839 112.9 113.1 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2

Transportation equipment manufacturing

336

13.409 106.1 106.3 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.2

Furniture and related product manufacturing

337

1.329 106.1 106.2 -2.7 0.1 -0.1 0.2 0.1

Miscellaneous manufacturing

339

5.154 112.3 112.5 0.5 0.0 0.1 -0.1 0.2

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2008 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 4. U.S. export price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: September 2009 to September 2010
[December 2005=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description NAICS Relative
import-
ance
Aug.
2010(1)
Index Percent change
Aug.
2010
Sept.
2010
Annual Monthly
Sept.
2009
to
Sept.
2010
May
2010
to
June
2010
June
2010
to
July
2010
July
2010
to
Aug.
2010
Aug.
2010
to
Sept.
2010

Nonmanufactured articles

  7.123 140.1 144.7 26.0 -0.4 -1.6 6.1 3.3

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

11

4.865 151.1 157.0 19.6 -1.0 -0.7 7.4 3.9

Crop production

111

4.556 155.4 161.8 20.1 -1.2 -0.7 8.0 4.1

Mining

21

2.258 110.4 112.8 44.4 0.6 -3.3 3.4 2.2

Mining (except oil and gas)

212

1.822 130.6 132.8 48.4 0.7 -1.5 3.8 1.7

Manufactured articles

  90.164 112.5 112.9 3.6 -0.5 0.0 0.4 0.4

Manufactured goods, part 1

31

6.729 127.8 129.0 6.2 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.9

Food manufacturing

311

4.566 143.4 145.0 6.1 0.4 0.3 0.6 1.1

Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing

312

0.538 110.2 110.5 3.3 1.9 1.9 0.4 0.3

Apparel manufacturing

315

0.377 104.7 105.6 2.8 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.9

Manufactured goods, part 2

32

23.939 120.3 120.4 8.4 -1.6 -0.2 2.0 0.1

Wood product manufacturing

321

0.452 114.5 113.4 6.0 -0.1 -0.5 -0.8 -1.0

Paper manufacturing

322

2.058 123.5 124.7 13.6 2.2 1.5 0.6 1.0

Petroleum and coal products manufacturing

324

3.715 125.2 121.6 19.1 -6.8 -1.5 8.8 -2.9

Chemical manufacturing

325

14.829 121.8 122.8 7.7 -1.1 -0.1 1.0 0.8

Plastics and rubber products manufacturing

326

2.056 107.6 107.7 -0.1 -0.4 0.4 0.6 0.1

Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing

327

0.829 112.6 112.8 0.8 -0.5 0.0 0.0 0.2

Manufactured goods, part 3

33

59.496 108.1 108.5 1.5 -0.2 0.1 -0.2 0.4

Primary metal manufacturing

331

4.972 146.4 148.9 18.9 0.4 0.3 -0.9 1.7

Fabricated metal product manufacturing

332

2.745 121.2 121.5 -0.2 -0.4 0.2 -0.1 0.2

Machinery manufacturing

333

12.575 114.8 114.8 1.9 -0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

334

15.338 91.5 91.6 -2.6 -0.8 -0.2 -0.1 0.1

Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing

335

3.392 108.1 108.3 1.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2

Transportation equipment manufacturing

336

15.133 111.3 111.4 1.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1

Miscellaneous manufacturing

339

4.990 110.2 111.6 0.8 -0.3 0.7 -0.6 1.3

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2008 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 5. U.S. import price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: September 2009 to September 2010
[2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description Harmo-
nized
system
Relative
import-
ance
Aug.
2010(1)
Index Percent change
Aug.
2010
Sept.
2010
Annual Monthly
Sept.
2009
to
Sept.
2010
May
2010
to
June
2010
June
2010
to
July
2010
July
2010
to
Aug.
2010
Aug.
2010
to
Sept.
2010

Live animals; animal products

I

1.142 145.6 148.3 13.5 -1.0 0.1 1.7 1.9

Meat and edible meat offal

02

0.260 183.2 184.7 17.4 -2.0 -1.6 1.7 0.8

Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

03

0.598 110.6 113.7 14.6 0.4 1.9 1.4 2.8

Vegetable products

II

1.559 177.1 178.1 12.4 -4.2 -0.2 4.7 0.6

Edible vegetables, roots, and tubers

07

0.427 329.5 313.8 7.0 -5.4 -7.8 9.6 -4.8

Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons

08

0.413 108.5 111.6 12.8 -7.3 -1.2 2.8 2.9

Coffee, tea, mate and spices

09

0.321 188.9 202.8 30.9 1.7 7.0 3.2 7.4

Animal or vegetable fats and oils (Dec. 2009=100)

III

0.226 110.5 111.6 - -2.1 1.8 7.0 1.0

Prepared foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco

IV

2.337 143.6 143.3 5.1 0.0 1.1 0.6 -0.2

Cocoa and cocoa preparations (Dec. 2009=100)

18

0.201 96.2 94.3 - -6.6 0.0 -1.4 -2.0

Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; bakers' wares (Dec. 2007=100)

19

0.263 124.7 124.7 10.5 1.9 6.9 -0.2 0.0

Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts, or other parts of plants

20

0.287 129.5 129.2 2.8 -0.6 -0.5 0.3 -0.2

Beverages, spirits, and vinegar

22

0.904 118.2 118.1 1.2 -1.0 0.2 0.5 -0.1

Mineral products

V

20.630 254.9 247.4 7.3 -3.5 1.0 1.5 -2.9

Salt; sulfur; earths and stone; plaster materials, lime & cement (Dec. 2009=100)

25

0.190 102.4 102.4 - -0.4 0.4 0.0 0.0

Mineral fuels, oils and residuals, bituminous substances and mineral waxes

27

20.189 251.3 243.6 7.2 -3.7 1.1 1.5 -3.1

Products of the chemical or allied industries

VI

8.291 139.1 139.9 6.7 -1.1 -0.5 0.4 0.6

Inorganic chemicals

28

0.959 275.3 286.6 33.2 -3.9 -0.3 -0.6 4.1

Organic chemicals

29

2.775 134.1 133.9 5.7 -0.9 -0.4 0.7 -0.1

Pharmaceutical products

30

2.843 118.2 118.2 3.5 -0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0

Fertilizers (Dec. 2009=100)

31

0.309 100.1 103.1 - -3.1 -1.2 0.3 3.0

Tanning & dyeing extracts; dye & pigments; varnish & paints; putty

32

0.164 106.8 106.6 0.1 -1.7 -0.9 0.3 -0.2

Essential oils and resinoids (Dec. 2001=100)

33

0.402 117.4 117.9 -2.6 -2.0 -1.6 2.1 0.4

Miscellaneous chemical products

38

0.495 92.9 93.1 3.3 -1.4 0.4 -0.1 0.2

Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof

VII

3.031 137.5 137.8 8.4 -0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2

Plastics and articles thereof

39

1.893 132.0 132.1 6.6 -0.5 0.5 0.2 0.1

Rubber and articles thereof

40

1.138 148.1 148.7 11.6 -0.1 0.1 0.3 0.4

Raw hides, skins, leather, furskins, travel goods, etc

VIII

0.594 114.7 115.0 1.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.3

Articles of leather; travel goods, bags, etc. of various materials

42

0.538 114.8 115.0 0.4 0.1 -0.1 0.0 0.2

Wood, wood charcoal, cork, straw, basketware and wickerwork

IX

0.826 123.3 122.6 6.7 -2.0 -6.6 -1.7 -0.6

Woodpulp, recovered paper, and paper products

X

1.405 112.9 113.2 8.2 1.5 0.5 -0.2 0.3

Pulp wood, waste paper, and paperboard (Dec. 2009=100)

47

0.226 127.4 126.2 - 6.2 1.2 -2.5 -0.9

Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, paper or paperboard

48

0.908 105.5 105.9 4.4 0.9 0.5 0.4 0.4

Printed matter

49

0.270 121.8 122.7 2.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.7

Textile and textile articles

XI

5.001 103.6 103.6 0.7 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.0

Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted

61

1.919 98.9 98.9 -0.7 0.3 0.6 0.0 0.0

Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted

62

1.871 103.0 102.9 0.0 -0.1 0.0 0.1 -0.1

Made-up or worn textile articles

63

0.544 95.5 95.7 5.5 0.2 1.7 0.0 0.2

Headgear, umbrellas, artifical flowers, etc.

XII

1.226 107.9 108.0 0.4 0.3 0.8 0.1 0.1

Footwear and parts of such articles

64

1.044 107.2 107.3 0.6 0.4 0.9 0.1 0.1

Stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, ceramics, glass etc.

XIII

0.884 124.0 124.5 -0.1 -0.2 0.2 0.0 0.4

Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, or mica (Dec. 2001=100)

68

0.315 117.9 118.3 0.5 -0.1 0.4 0.0 0.3

Ceramic products

69

0.275 138.0 139.3 -0.1 -0.5 -0.4 -0.4 0.9

Glass and glassware

70

0.294 115.7 115.8 -0.8 -0.3 0.3 0.4 0.1

Pearls, stones, precious metals, imitation jewelry, and coins

XIV

2.779 159.2 160.6 12.9 -0.2 -0.4 -1.1 0.9

Base metals and articles of base metals

XV

6.075 179.0 182.4 12.5 -2.8 -1.4 0.7 1.9

Iron and steel

72

1.395 228.4 230.8 20.3 0.2 -2.2 -2.2 1.1

Articles of iron or steel

73

1.897 152.4 154.3 13.2 0.7 0.6 1.1 1.2

Copper and articles thereof

74

0.655 315.3 333.1 14.1 -9.2 -1.9 2.4 5.6

Nickel and articles thereof (Dec. 2009=100)

75

0.182 118.4 121.9 - -12.2 -10.4 1.4 3.0

Aluminum and articles thereof

76

0.815 133.2 135.4 9.8 -6.3 -2.3 2.7 1.7

Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof

82

0.365 118.1 118.2 0.9 -0.1 -0.1 0.3 0.1

Miscellaneous articles of base metal

83

0.412 127.1 127.1 -1.2 -0.2 0.3 0.1 0.0

Machinery, electrical equipment, TV image and sound recorders, parts, etc.

XVI

25.410 86.2 86.3 -1.0 -0.3 -0.5 0.1 0.1

Machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof

84

12.828 87.9 88.0 -0.5 -0.1 -0.2 0.2 0.1

Electrical machinery and equip, sound and TV recorders & reproducers, parts

85

12.582 84.6 84.6 -1.7 -0.4 -0.7 0.0 0.0

Vehicles, aircraft, vessels and associated transport equipment

XVII

11.376 110.3 110.5 0.3 -0.1 0.4 0.2 0.2

Motor vehicles and their parts

87

10.279 109.4 109.5 0.4 -0.1 0.4 0.2 0.1

Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof (Dec. 2002=100)

88

1.002 113.6 113.7 -1.7 -0.4 0.0 -0.1 0.1

Optical, photo, measuring, medical & musical instruments; & timepieces

XVIII

3.272 101.1 101.2 -1.1 -0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1

Optical, photographic, measuring and medical instruments

90

2.957 98.6 98.7 -1.4 -0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1

Clocks and watches and parts thereof

91

0.236 125.7 125.9 1.5 -0.7 0.1 3.3 0.2

Miscellaneous manufactured articles

XX

3.872 106.6 106.7 -1.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1

Furniture & stuffed furnishings; lamps & lighting fittings, nesoi; prefab bldgs

94

1.973 109.7 109.7 -2.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0

Toys, games and sports equipment; parts and accessories thereof

95

1.696 101.0 101.0 -0.4 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0

Miscellaneous manufactured articles

96

0.203 119.8 119.8 3.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2008 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 6. U.S. export price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: September 2009 to September 2010
[2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description Harmo-
nized
system
Relative
import-
ance
Aug.
2010(1)
Index Percent change
Aug.
2010
Sept.
2010
Annual Monthly
Sept.
2009
to
Sept.
2010
May
2010
to
June
2010
June
2010
to
July
2010
July
2010
to
Aug.
2010
Aug.
2010
to
Sept.
2010

Live animals; animal products

I

1.762 173.0 176.6 15.2 0.6 0.2 0.2 2.1

Meat & edible meat offal (Dec. 2006=100)

02

1.020 144.6 144.4 16.5 -1.0 1.4 -0.6 -0.1

Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

03

0.324 154.5 159.8 19.0 0.3 1.0 0.5 3.4

Vegetable products

II

4.413 190.4 195.6 10.6 -1.9 -0.3 7.6 2.7

Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons

08

0.718 119.4 117.8 9.7 1.9 -7.9 -1.1 -1.3

Cereals

10

1.785 197.1 216.6 28.7 -5.5 1.8 13.0 9.9

Oilseeds and misc. grains, seeds, fruits, plants, straw and fodder

12

1.417 215.2 207.9 -1.7 -0.4 1.5 8.0 -3.4

Animal or vegetable fats and oils (Dec. 2009=100)

III

0.308 108.5 110.2 - -2.0 -1.3 0.5 1.6

Prepared foodstuffs, beverages,and tobacco

IV

2.490 142.2 142.1 1.4 1.1 0.9 1.2 -0.1

Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants (Dec. 2009=100)

20

0.346 105.6 103.7 - -0.2 0.1 0.0 -1.8

Miscellaneous edible preparations

21

0.405 117.7 117.8 -0.2 -0.3 -0.2 0.1 0.1

Beverages, spirits, and vinegar (Dec. 2008=100)

22

0.327 102.5 102.8 0.9 -0.6 -0.5 0.7 0.3

Residues and waste from the food industries; prepared animal feed

23

0.604 196.5 197.5 -4.3 4.9 4.5 4.2 0.5

Mineral products

V

6.030 256.7 254.2 27.0 -3.6 -2.2 5.9 -1.0

Mineral fuels, oils and residuals, bituminous substances and mineral waxes

27

5.303 247.8 244.3 26.6 -3.9 -2.2 5.9 -1.4

Products of the chemical or allied industries

VI

12.067 145.5 146.7 7.9 -0.8 -0.1 0.8 0.8

Inorganic chemicals

28

1.092 188.9 189.3 6.9 1.6 1.7 0.2 0.2

Organic chemicals

29

3.082 154.1 155.3 10.5 -1.3 -0.8 1.0 0.8

Pharmaceutical products

30

2.955 123.0 124.1 6.5 -1.5 0.9 0.7 0.9

Tanning or dyeing extracts, dyes, paints, varnish, putty, & inks

32

0.540 116.5 116.8 2.0 -2.1 2.3 0.1 0.3

Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery cosmetic or toilet preparations

33

0.714 124.1 124.8 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0 1.3 0.6

Soap; lubricants; waxes, polishing or scouring products; candles, pastes

34

0.436 119.2 122.9 5.9 -0.4 0.4 0.8 3.1

Miscellaneous chemical products

38

2.111 144.7 145.0 9.2 0.6 0.5 1.0 0.2

Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof

VII

5.083 138.3 139.2 3.2 -1.3 -0.1 1.2 0.7

Plastics and articles thereof

39

4.124 132.0 133.0 2.8 -1.7 -0.2 1.4 0.8

Rubber and articles thereof

40

0.959 166.7 166.9 4.9 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.1

Raw hides, skins, leather, furskins, travel goods, etc.

VIII

0.376 120.9 120.7 22.9 -0.6 -0.3 0.1 -0.2

Wood, wood charcoal, cork, straw, basketware and wickerwork

IX

0.556 109.8 109.3 6.3 0.3 -0.4 -0.8 -0.5

Woodpulp, recovered paper, and paper products

X

2.561 120.6 122.2 13.3 0.1 1.9 0.7 1.3

Woodpulp and recovered paper

47

0.716 134.2 139.6 40.3 -1.4 2.9 0.3 4.0

Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, paper or paperboard

48

1.348 117.8 118.3 7.9 1.0 2.2 1.1 0.4

Printed material

49

0.498 116.0 116.0 -1.4 -0.3 -0.3 0.0 0.0

Textile and textile articles

XI

2.042 117.2 120.7 16.7 1.3 0.1 1.2 3.0

Cotton, including yarns and woven fabrics thereof

52

0.704 137.2 148.0 54.0 2.7 0.2 3.6 7.9

Stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, ceramics, glass etc. (Dec. 2008=100)

XIII

0.784 115.5 115.5 1.0 -0.3 -0.3 0.0 0.0

Glass and glassware

70

0.414 97.1 97.2 -0.4 -0.5 -0.2 0.0 0.1

Pearls, stones, precious metals, imitation jewelry, and coins

XIV

4.962 209.7 215.7 21.9 1.3 0.9 -1.5 2.9

Base metals and articles of base metals

XV

5.845 161.5 164.1 8.0 -3.7 -0.4 1.1 1.6

Iron and steel

72

1.735 192.3 196.9 12.8 -5.7 -1.8 0.8 2.4

Articles of iron or steel

73

1.507 158.4 159.5 1.1 -0.4 0.4 -0.2 0.7

Copper and articles thereof

74

0.589 230.8 236.1 21.6 -4.4 0.9 5.4 2.3

Aluminum and articles thereof

76

0.864 120.4 123.6 9.5 -8.8 -0.3 2.5 2.7

Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof

82

0.410 124.1 124.1 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Miscellaneous articles of base metal

83

0.313 124.8 124.2 2.1 0.5 0.2 -0.4 -0.5

Machinery, electrical equipment, TV image and sound recorders, parts, etc.

XVI

29.920 95.3 95.3 -0.4 -0.3 -0.1 -0.1 0.0

Machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof

84

17.594 106.6 106.3 0.5 -0.5 -0.1 -0.1 -0.3

Electrical machinery and equipment and parts and accessories thereof

85

12.326 83.0 83.2 -1.9 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 0.2

Vehicles, aircraft, vessels and associated transport equipment

XVII

13.223 121.5 121.7 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2

Motor vehicles and their parts

87

8.498 108.5 108.6 1.0 0.0 -0.1 0.1 0.1

Ships, boats and floating structures (Dec. 2009=100)

89

0.293 100.9 101.9 - 0.1 0.2 0.6 1.0

Optical, photo, measuring, medical & musical instruments; & timepieces

XVIII

5.925 106.7 106.8 -1.7 -0.3 0.4 0.1 0.1

Miscellaneous manufactured articles

XX

1.507 107.7 107.6 -0.6 0.0 -0.1 -0.3 -0.1

Furniture; stuffed furnishings; lamps and lighting fittings nesoi;

94

0.753 118.5 118.2 -0.4 0.2 -0.2 -0.2 -0.3

Toys, games and sports equipment; parts and accessories thereof

95

0.641 92.4 92.5 -0.9 -0.3 0.1 -0.6 0.1

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2008 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 7. U.S. import price indexes and percent changes by locality of origin: September 2009 to September 2010
[2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description Percent
of
U.S.
imports(1)
Index Percent change
Aug.
2010
Sept.
2010
Annual Monthly
Sept.
2009
to
Sept.
2010
May
2010
to
June
2010
June
2010
to
July
2010
July
2010
to
Aug.
2010
Aug.
2010
to
Sept.
2010

Industrialized Countries(2)

41.082 125.0 124.5 3.4 -1.3 0.5 0.3 -0.4

Nonmanufactured articles

5.687 195.1 191.7 13.4 -2.7 3.4 0.4 -1.7

Manufactured articles

34.943 119.3 119.0 2.5 -1.0 0.1 0.3 -0.3

Other Countries(3)

58.918 124.0 123.5 2.9 -1.0 0.1 0.6 -0.4

Nonmanufactured articles

15.714 257.6 251.4 8.7 -3.9 0.7 2.8 -2.4

Manufactured articles

43.010 105.2 105.4 1.1 -0.2 -0.1 0.0 0.2

Canada

15.923 140.6 140.6 7.2 -2.0 0.4 0.6 0.0

Nonmanufactured articles

5.257 189.1 185.7 14.9 -2.7 4.0 0.3 -1.8

Manufactured articles

10.335 131.7 132.5 5.3 -1.7 -0.8 0.6 0.6

European Union(4)

16.799 127.9 128.0 2.1 -0.8 -0.2 0.4 0.1

Nonmanufactured articles

0.211 254.0 249.9 6.2 0.8 -1.0 2.4 -1.6

Manufactured articles

16.491 125.3 125.5 2.0 -0.8 -0.2 0.3 0.2

France (Dec. 2003=100)

1.948 121.3 121.3 -1.4 -0.4 0.0 0.2 0.0

Germany (Dec. 2003=100)

4.572 111.4 111.4 1.2 -1.2 -0.4 0.5 0.0

United Kingdom (Dec. 2003=100)

2.566 125.6 125.9 3.4 -0.6 -0.3 0.6 0.2

Latin America(5)

17.999 156.8 155.9 5.0 -1.3 0.2 1.3 -0.6

Nonmanufactured articles

6.186 284.4 278.1 8.2 -2.3 2.2 3.4 -2.2

Manufactured articles

11.730 129.9 130.2 2.9 -0.8 -0.7 0.2 0.2

Mexico (Dec. 2003=100)

10.275 136.8 136.7 2.2 -0.9 -0.7 0.7 -0.1

Nonmanufactured articles (Dec. 2008=100)

2.141 149.0 146.6 7.9 -5.2 0.9 2.9 -1.6

Manufactured articles (Dec. 2008=100)

8.085 96.3 96.6 0.2 0.4 -1.1 0.1 0.3

Pacific Rim (Dec. 2003=100)(6)

31.500 101.1 101.2 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1

China (Dec. 2003=100)

16.449 100.5 100.3 -0.2 -0.2 0.1 0.0 -0.2

Japan

6.678 98.8 98.9 1.7 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.1

Asian NICs(7)

5.003 88.4 88.6 2.9 0.1 0.5 -0.1 0.2

ASEAN (Dec. 2003=100)(8)

5.274 96.7 97.3 0.2 -0.1 0.4 0.4 0.6

Asia Near East (Dec. 2003=100)(9)

5.380 203.0 199.5 3.4 -2.2 -2.1 1.2 -1.7

Footnotes
(1) Percentage of trade figures are based on 2008 trade values.
(2) Includes Western Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
(3) Includes Eastern Europe, Latin America, OPEC countries, and other countries in Asia, Africa and the Western Hemisphere.
(4) Includes European Union countries.
(5) Includes Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
(6) Includes China, Japan, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Asian Newly Industrialized Countries.
(7) Asian Newly Industrialized Countries. Includes Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
(8) Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
(9) Includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.
Regions are not mutually exclusive.
Dash = Not available


Table 8. U.S. international price indexes and percent changes for selected transportation services: September 2009 to September 2010
[2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description Relative
import-
ance
Aug.
2010(1)
Index Percent change
Aug.
2010
Sept.
2010
Annual Monthly
Sept.
2009
to
Sept.
2010
May
2010
to
June
2010
June
2010
to
July
2010
July
2010
to
Aug.
2010
Aug.
2010
to
Sept.
2010

Air Freight

Import Air Freight

100.000 162.8 163.2 21.1 -0.9 -1.1 1.3 0.2

Europe (Dec. 2003=100)

21.378 130.4 131.7 -1.1 -5.4 -1.3 4.3 1.0

Asia

75.590 151.6 151.7 30.4 0.3 -0.3 0.6 0.1

Export Air Freight

100.000 125.3 125.9 3.5 1.5 -1.3 0.6 0.5

Europe (Dec. 2006=100)

33.131 114.9 114.3 3.0 3.0 -1.7 0.1 -0.5

Inbound Air Freight

100.000 146.7 147.2 15.5 -0.1 -1.4 1.2 0.3

Europe (Dec. 2003=100)

22.162 122.8 124.5 -0.2 -3.8 -1.3 3.8 1.4

Asia

67.702 137.0 137.1 24.1 0.5 -0.6 0.6 0.1

Outbound Air Freight

100.000 121.7 122.5 9.5 1.2 -0.7 0.1 0.7

Europe (Dec. 2003=100)

41.415 141.6 141.3 9.2 1.9 -0.7 0.2 -0.2

Asia

41.790 110.2 110.9 7.9 0.8 -0.7 0.1 0.6

Air Passenger Fares

Import Air Passenger Fares

100.000 166.0 160.9 16.7 9.2 -1.3 -4.1 -3.1

Europe

42.893 182.4 177.0 20.4 13.7 -3.9 -5.9 -3.0

Asia

29.156 149.7 140.1 12.6 11.5 0.8 -4.5 -6.4

Latin America/Caribbean

12.706 146.9 142.8 21.4 1.6 3.5 1.0 -2.8

Export Air Passenger Fares

100.000 188.2 174.7 23.6 7.9 5.4 1.3 -7.2

Europe

33.054 231.9 215.8 29.3 16.5 3.1 -6.6 -6.9

Asia

34.929 195.7 163.6 33.9 2.5 5.4 19.5 -16.4

Latin America/Caribbean

19.006 169.1 176.3 22.3 5.6 2.1 -2.3 4.3

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2008 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


                                          TECHNICAL NOTE


Import and Export Merchandise and Services Price Indexes -- All indexes use a modified Laspeyres 
formula and are not seasonally adjusted.  Price indexes are reweighted annually, with a two-year lag in 
the weights.  Published series use a base year of 2000=100 where possible.  More detailed index series 
and additional information may be obtained at http://www.bls.gov/mxp, or by calling (202) 691-7101.

Merchandise Goods Classification Systems -- The merchandise price indexes are published using 
three classification systems.  Items are classified by end use according to the Bureau of Economic 
Analysis Classification System, by industry according to the North American Industry Classification 
System (NAICS), and by product category according to the Harmonized System (HS).  While 
classification by end use and product category are self-explanatory, some notes are in order for 
classifying items by industry.  In the NAICS imports and exports tables, items are classified by output 
industry, not input industry.  As an example, NAICS import index 326 (plastics and rubber products 
manufacturing) include outputs such as manufactured plastic rather than inputs such as petroleum.  The 
NAICS classification structure also matches the classification system used by the PPI (Producer Price 
Index) to produce the NAICS primary products indexes.

Import Price Indexes -- Products have been classified by the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States Annotated (TSUSA).  Import prices are based on U.S. dollar prices paid by the U.S. importer.  
The prices are generally either "free on board" (f.o.b.) foreign port or "cost, insurance, and freight" 
(c.i.f.) U.S. port transaction prices, depending on the practices of the individual industry.  The index for 
crude petroleum is calculated from data collected by the U.S. Department of Energy.  

Export Price Indexes -- Products have been classified by the Harmonized Schedule B classification 
system of the U.S. Bureau of the Census.  The prices used are generally either "free alongside ship" 
(f.a.s.) factory or "free on board" (f.o.b.) transaction prices, depending on the practices of the individual 
industry.  Prices used in the grain index, excluding rice, are obtained from the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture.

Services Price Indexes -- Starting in September 2008 the Import Air Passenger Fares Indexes represent 
changes in the average revenue per passenger received by foreign carriers from U.S. residents and are 
calculated from data obtained from an airline consulting service.  These data include tickets sold by 
travel agencies and travel websites.  Tickets sold directly by the airlines are excluded, as are frequent 
flyer tickets generally.  Starting in January 2008 the Export Air Passenger Fares Indexes represent 
changes in the average revenue per passenger received by U.S. carriers from foreign residents and are 
calculated from data collected directly from airlines. These data include frequent flyer tickets and those 
sold by consolidators. Taxes and fees are included in the Import Air Passenger Fares Index and excluded 
from the Export Air Passenger Fares Index. The Air Freight Indexes are calculated from data collected 
directly from airlines. These data exclude mail and passenger baggage. The scope of the service being 
priced is the movement of freight from airport to airport only, and does not include any ground 
transportation or port service. The Air Freight Indexes are presented using two definitions: Balance of 
Payments (which represent transactions between U.S. and foreign residents) and International (which 
represent transactions inbound to and outbound from the U.S.). Fact sheets specifying detailed 
information for each services industry are available at http://www.bls.gov/mxp under "MXP 
Publications."

Import Indexes by Locality of Origin -- Prices used in these indexes are a subset of the data collected 
for the Import Price Indexes.  Beginning with January 2002, the indexes are defined by locality of origin 
using a nomenclature based upon the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).  
Nonmanufactured goods are defined as NAICS 11 and 21 and manufactured goods are defined as 
NAICS 31-33. 
 
Revision Policy -- To reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents, monthly data 
may be revised in each of the three months after original publication.  After three months, no further data 
revisions take place.  So, for example, data released in the January release will be subject to revision in 
the releases for February, March, and April.

Uses of the Data -- The primary use of the indexes is to deflate trade statistics, notably the foreign trade 
sector of the National Income and Product Accounts constructed by the Department of Commerce.  
Other published indexes are useful for general market analysis.  For trade in international services, 
Balance of Payments indexes are used for deflating National Income and Product Accounts, while 
International indexes are more appropriate for market analysis.  Merchandise and services indexes also 
can be used to study U.S. competitiveness and to compute price elasticities, and the merchandise import 
indexes by country or region of origin are useful in terms of trade analysis.

E-Mail Subscription -- The U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes news release is available through an 
e-mail subscription service at (http://www.bls.gov/bls/list.htm).
 
Additional Information -- More detailed data are available on the Import/Export Price Indexes home 
page at (http://www.bls.gov/mxp).  Flat Files and the FTP server are available for users requiring access 
to either a large volume of time series data or other related documentation. The FTP site can be accessed 
at ftp://ftp.bls.gov.   For technical assistance in using the BLS Internet site, send e-mail to 
(labstat.helpdesk@bls.gov).  For Import/Export Price Index data requests, send e-mail to 
(mxpinfo@bls.gov). 

Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.  
Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.

Last Modified Date: October 13, 2010