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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-17-1645
8:30 a.m. (EST) Thursday, December 14, 2017

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 - NOVEMBER 2017                              

U.S. import prices rose 0.7 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after 
ticking up 0.1 percent in October. Higher prices for fuel drove the increase in November and nonfuel prices 
recorded no change. U.S. export prices increased 0.5 percent in November following a 0.1-percent advance 
the previous month.

Imports

All Imports: Import prices advanced 0.7 percent in November following rises of 0.1 percent in October and 
0.8 percent in September. Higher fuel prices were the main contributor to the overall advance in import 
prices for November. The import price index increased 3.1 percent over the past 12 months. U.S. import 
prices have not recorded an over-the-year decline since a 0.2-percent drop in October 2016.

Fuel Imports: The import price index for fuels rose 7.6 percent in November, after a 0.2-percent increase in 
October. Rising prices for import petroleum and natural gas contributed to the increase. Petroleum prices 
advanced 7.2 percent in November, the largest monthly rise since the index increased 7.5 percent in October 
2016. Natural gas prices rose 26.3 percent, the first monthly advance since the index increased 8.0 percent 
in April and the largest rise since the index advanced 28.0 percent in July 2016. Import fuel prices rose 22.2 
percent over the past year driven by a 24.1-percent increase in petroleum prices. In contrast, import prices 
for natural gas decreased 5.6 percent for the year ended in November.

All Imports Excluding Fuel: Nonfuel import prices recorded no change in November following a 0.1-
percent rise in October. Lower prices for foods, feeds, and beverages offset higher prices for nonfuel 
industrial supplies and materials, consumer goods, and automotive vehicles. Import capital goods prices 
recorded no change in November. The price index for nonfuel imports advanced 1.4 percent between 
November 2016 and November 2017. The 12-month increase was driven by higher prices for nonfuel 
industrial supplies and materials, capital goods, and consumer goods which more than offset lower prices 
for automotive vehicles and foods, feeds, and beverages. The last over-the-year decline in nonfuel import 
prices was a 0.2-percent decrease for the 12-month period ended November 2016.

Table A. Percent change in Import and Export Price Indexes, selected categories

Month IMPORTS EXPORTS
All
imports
Fuel
imports
Nonfuel
imports
All
exports
Agri-
cultural
exports
Non-
agricultural
exports

2016

November

-0.1 -1.1 -0.1 0.1 0.7 0.0

December

0.4 5.8 0.0 0.4 -0.2 0.4

2017

January

0.6 6.1 -0.1 0.2 0.4 0.2

February

0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 1.4 0.3

March

-0.2 -3.0 0.2 0.1 1.1 0.0

April

0.2 -0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.3

May

-0.1 -0.9 0.1 -0.6 -1.6 -0.4

June

-0.2 -3.6 0.1 -0.1 -1.4 0.0

July

-0.2 -1.0 -0.1 0.5 1.8 0.3

August

0.6 (r)4.0 0.3 (r)0.6 (r)0.0 (r)0.7

September

0.8 (r)5.7 0.3 (r)0.8 -0.7 0.9

October

(r)0.1 (r)0.2 (r)0.1 (r)0.1 1.9 (r)-0.1

November

0.7 7.6 0.0 0.5 -0.6 0.6

Nov. 2015 to 2016

0.2 6.1 -0.2 -0.2 -1.1 -0.2

Nov. 2016 to 2017

3.1 22.2 1.4 3.1 2.1 3.2

Footnotes
(r) Revised

Exports

All Exports: The export price index rose 0.5 percent in November, after ticking up 0.1 percent in October 
and advancing 0.8 percent in September. In November, higher nonagricultural export prices offset lower 
prices for agricultural exports. U.S. export prices advanced 3.1 percent over the past 12 months and have not 
recorded an over-the-year decrease since the index fell 0.2 percent in November 2016.

Agricultural Exports: Agricultural export prices declined 0.6 percent in November following a 1.9-percent 
increase in October. Lower prices for vegetables and meats led the drop, more than offsetting higher prices 
for fruit. The agricultural export price index rose 2.1 percent for the year ended in November, driven by 
advancing prices for meat, wheat, and nuts.

All Exports Excluding Agriculture: The nonagricultural export price index increased 0.6 percent in 
November, after edging down 0.1 percent in October. Export nonagricultural industrial supplies and 
materials prices advanced in November, driving the monthly rise despite lower prices for capital goods and 
automotive vehicles. Export consumer goods prices recorded no change. Nonagricultural export prices 
increased 3.2 percent for the 12 months ended in November, continuing an upward trend since the index last 
fell on an over-the-year basis in November 2016. The price indexes for export nonagricultural industrial 
supplies and materials, capital goods, and automotive vehicles contributed to the 12-month advance.

                                          SELECTED NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS                                          

Import Prices

Imports by Locality of Origin: Prices for imports from China increased 0.3 percent in November, after 
recording no change in October. The price index for imports from China has not recorded an increase larger 
than 0.3 percent since advancing 0.4 percent in October 2011. Despite the rise, import prices from China 
edged down 0.1 percent over the past year. Import prices from Japan decreased 0.1 percent in November. 
Prices for imports from Japan fell 1.2 percent between November 2016 and November 2017, the largest 12-
month drop since a 1.3-percent decline for the year ended April 2016. Prices for imports from Canada 
increased 2.2 percent in November, the largest monthly rise since the index increased 2.3 percent in June 
2016. The price index for imports from the European Union ticked up 0.1 percent in November and import 
prices from Mexico edged down 0.1 percent. 

Nonfuel Industrial Supplies and Materials: The import price index for nonfuel industrial supplies and 
materials advanced 0.9 percent in November, following a 0.8-percent increase in October. Higher prices for 
import chemicals and nonferrous metals drove the November advance. Nonfuel industrial supplies and 
materials import prices rose 8.8 percent over the past year, driven by higher prices for unfinished metals.

Finished Goods: Import finished goods prices were mixed in November. The price indexes for consumer 
goods and automotive vehicles each rose 0.1 percent. Import prices for capital goods recorded no change.

Foods, Feeds, and Beverages: The price index for import foods, feeds, and beverages declined 1.7 percent 
in November, after decreasing 0.4 percent in October. The drop was led by an 11.1-percent decrease in fruit 
prices and a 1.4-percent decline in fish and shellfish prices. Those decreases more than offset a 6.9-percent 
increase in vegetable prices.

Transportation Services: Import air passenger fares declined 2.3 percent in November, after an 8.8-percent 
increase in October. A 4.6-percent drop in Asian fares offset higher European and Latin America/Caribbean 
fares. Import air passenger fares declined 0.9 percent over the past 12 months. Import air freight prices 
increased 6.9 percent in November and rose 13.0 percent over the past year.

Export Prices

Nonagricultural Industrial Supplies and Materials: Prices for nonagricultural industrial supplies and 
materials exports rose 2.1 percent in November. A 5.3-percent increase in fuel prices led the overall advance 
in November. Nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials prices increased 8.3 percent over the past 
year.

Finished Goods: Export prices for capital goods edged down 0.1 percent in November; the first decrease 
since the index fell 0.1 percent in October 2016. A 0.7-percent decline in telecommunications equipment 
prices led the November drop despite a 0.5-percent increase in computer peripherals, accessories and parts 
prices. Automotive vehicle prices fell 0.1 percent and prices for consumer goods recorded no change.

Transportation Services: Export air passenger fares rose 0.4 percent in November, led by increases in 
European, Latin America/Caribbean, and Asian fares. Despite the increase, export air passenger fares 
declined 1.7 percent for the year ended in November. The export air freight price index advanced 1.8 
percent in November and increased 9.9 percent over the past year.
		
Import and Export Price Index data for December 2017 are scheduled for release on Wednesday, January 10, 
2018 at 8:30 a.m. (EST).


Table 1. U.S. import price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: November 2016 to November 2017 [2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description End
Use
Relative
import-
ance
Oct.
2017(1)
Index Percent change
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Annual Monthly
Nov.
2016
to
Nov.
2017
July
2017
to
Aug.
2017
Aug.
2017
to
Sept.
2017
Sept.
2017
to
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2017
to
Nov.
2017

All commodities

  100.000 124.0 124.9 3.1 0.6 0.8 0.1 0.7

All imports excluding food and fuels (Dec. 2010=100)

  84.225 99.4 99.5 1.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1

All imports excluding petroleum

  91.072 112.5 112.6 1.4 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.1

All imports excluding fuels (Dec. 2001=100)

  90.535 116.7 116.7 1.4 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.0

Foods, feeds, & beverages

0

6.260 184.6 181.5 -0.4 0.2 1.8 -0.4 -1.7

Agricultural foods, feeds & beverages, excluding distilled beverages

00

4.930 203.7 199.9 -0.3 0.4 2.3 -0.7 -1.9

Nonagricultural foods (fish, distilled beverages)

01

1.329 140.9 139.6 -1.0 -0.4 -0.4 0.5 -0.9

Industrial supplies & materials

1

23.277 175.5 181.8 14.1 2.1 3.2 0.6 3.6

Industrial supplies & materials excluding petroleum

  14.523 150.9 153.2 8.2 0.8 1.2 0.5 1.5

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

  13.846 172.6 174.2 8.8 1.0 1.5 0.8 0.9

Industrial supplies & materials, durable

  8.686 164.4 165.6 10.6 1.5 2.1 0.2 0.7

Industrial supplies & materials nondurable excluding petroleum

  5.663 134.1 137.6 4.8 -0.3 -0.1 1.1 2.6

Fuels & lubricants

10

9.465 181.6 195.4 22.2 4.0 5.7 0.2 7.6

Petroleum & petroleum products

100

8.928 198.6 212.8 24.1 4.6 6.5 0.5 7.2

Crude

10000

6.379 205.0 217.2 26.6 3.6 5.6 3.0 6.0

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

101

0.386 81.7 97.9 -4.5 -4.2 -6.4 -4.9 19.8

Gas-natural

10110

0.290 65.0 82.1 -5.6 -5.9 -7.9 -5.4 26.3

Paper & paper base stocks

11

0.546 108.6 109.3 4.7 -0.3 -0.1 0.9 0.6

Materials associated with nondurable supplies & materials

12

4.646 156.3 158.3 5.9 0.1 0.6 1.8 1.3

Selected building materials

13

1.508 152.6 153.5 12.5 1.9 -0.5 2.1 0.6

Unfinished metals related to durable goods

14

3.637 224.2 227.3 15.4 2.5 4.4 -0.8 1.4

Finished metals related to durable goods

15

1.785 156.0 156.3 8.3 0.7 1.8 0.7 0.2

Nonmetals related to durable goods

16

1.689 110.3 110.2 2.5 0.1 -0.1 0.4 -0.1

Capital goods

2

27.292 89.2 89.2 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Electric generating equipment

20

3.297 117.0 117.3 1.1 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.3

Nonelectrical machinery

21

21.453 81.8 81.7 0.7 0.1 -0.1 0.1 -0.1

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

22

2.541 134.7 134.9 -1.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1

Automotive vehicles, parts & engines

3

16.088 110.1 110.2 -0.5 0.1 0.1 -0.2 0.1

Consumer goods, excluding automotives

4

27.084 106.7 106.8 0.2 0.1 -0.1 -0.2 0.1

Nondurables, manufactured

40

13.300 121.3 121.4 1.4 0.0 0.0 -0.2 0.1

Durables, manufactured

41

12.484 93.0 93.0 -0.7 0.2 -0.2 -0.1 0.0

Nonmanufactured consumer goods

42

1.300 114.9 114.6 -3.2 -0.4 0.2 0.3 -0.3

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2015 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the 3 months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 2. U.S. export price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: November 2016 to November 2017 [2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description End
Use
Relative
import-
ance
Oct.
2017(1)
Index Percent change
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Annual Monthly
Nov.
2016
to
Nov.
2017
July
2017
to
Aug.
2017
Aug.
2017
to
Sept.
2017
Sept.
2017
to
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2017
to
Nov.
2017

All commodities

  100.000 124.0 124.6 3.1 0.6 0.8 0.1 0.5

Agricultural commodities

  9.430 180.2 179.1 2.1 0.0 -0.7 1.9 -0.6

All exports excluding food and fuels (Dec. 2010=100)

  82.894 99.8 99.9 1.6 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.1

Nonagricultural commodities

  90.570 119.7 120.4 3.2 0.7 0.9 -0.1 0.6

Foods, feeds, & beverages

0

8.811 183.1 181.2 2.2 0.1 -0.6 2.1 -1.0

Agricultural foods, feeds & beverages, excluding distilled beverages

00

8.181 182.1 180.2 2.0 0.0 -0.7 2.2 -1.0

Nonagricultural foods (fish, distilled beverages)

01

0.630 205.3 203.9 6.0 0.5 0.5 1.7 -0.7

Industrial supplies & materials

1

30.247 151.5 154.7 8.0 1.8 2.8 -1.0 2.1

Industrial supplies & materials, durable

  10.741 162.1 162.4 4.7 1.3 2.5 -0.3 0.2

Industrial supplies & materials, nondurable

  19.527 146.8 151.4 9.9 2.0 2.8 -1.3 3.1

Agricultural industrial supplies & materials

10

1.249 174.0 177.8 3.1 -0.2 -0.3 -0.1 2.2

Nonagricultural industrial supplies & materials

  28.998 150.9 154.0 8.3 1.9 2.9 -1.0 2.1

Fuels & lubricants

11

8.316 176.4 185.7 21.2 5.0 6.1 -3.0 5.3

Nonagricultural supplies & materials excluding fuels & building materials

12

19.631 153.8 155.1 3.6 0.7 1.6 -0.3 0.8

Selected building materials

13

1.051 123.6 123.8 5.8 0.9 0.5 1.7 0.2

Capital goods

2

38.037 108.5 108.4 1.6 0.1 0.0 0.5 -0.1

Electrical generating equipment

20

4.003 115.5 115.4 3.2 0.2 0.1 2.0 -0.1

Nonelectrical machinery

21

24.832 94.3 94.2 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.3 -0.1

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

22

9.201 171.5 171.6 4.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1

Automotive vehicles, parts & engines

3

10.205 113.4 113.3 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.0 -0.1

Consumer goods, excluding automotives

4

12.700 109.1 109.1 -0.7 0.3 0.0 -0.1 0.0

Nondurables, manufactured

40

6.162 105.2 105.2 -0.8 0.2 0.1 -0.1 0.0

Durables, manufactured

41

5.154 107.6 107.5 0.2 0.3 0.0 -0.2 -0.1

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2015 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the 3 months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 3. U.S. import price indexes and percent changes for selected industries: November 2016 to November 2017 [December 2005=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description NAICS Relative
import-
ance
Oct.
2017(1)
Index Percent change
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Annual Monthly
Nov.
2016
to
Nov.
2017
July
2017
to
Aug.
2017
Aug.
2017
to
Sept.
2017
Sept.
2017
to
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2017
to
Nov.
2017

Nonmanufacturing

  9.093 101.2 105.3 17.9 2.5 4.7 1.7 4.1

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

11

2.133 193.3 186.2 -1.2 0.6 4.9 -1.5 -3.7

Crop production

111

1.746 211.7 201.7 -2.7 0.5 6.5 -1.2 -4.7

Animal production (Dec. 2014=100)

112

0.189 73.2 74.7 4.6 -0.1 -6.6 -3.0 2.0

Mining

21

6.961 90.4 96.2 24.5 3.1 4.8 2.7 6.4

Oil and gas extraction

211

6.677 89.9 96.0 24.8 3.3 4.9 2.7 6.8

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

212

0.283 112.9 110.9 15.9 -1.3 -1.0 1.7 -1.8

Manufacturing

  90.614 110.5 111.0 1.8 0.4 0.5 -0.2 0.5

Manufacturing, part 1

31

11.856 124.5 124.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 -0.1 -0.2

Food manufacturing

311

3.477 156.6 155.8 1.0 0.0 0.0 -0.1 -0.5

Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing

312

1.061 119.5 119.4 1.2 -0.1 0.3 0.2 -0.1

Textile mills (Dec. 2011=100)

313

0.400 99.5 99.4 1.5 0.6 0.5 0.1 -0.1

Textile product mills

314

0.930 109.3 109.1 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.0 -0.2

Apparel manufacturing

315

4.162 110.9 110.7 -0.4 0.1 0.1 -0.3 -0.2

Leather and allied product manufacturing

316

1.825 122.6 122.6 -0.3 0.0 -0.2 0.0 0.0

Manufacturing, part 2

32

17.565 121.6 123.8 5.9 0.8 1.2 -0.2 1.8

Wood product manufacturing

321

0.948 135.3 136.8 19.2 3.0 -0.8 3.0 1.1

Paper manufacturing

322

1.024 105.8 106.0 2.1 -0.1 -0.1 0.5 0.2

Printing and related support activities (Dec. 2016=100)

323

0.218 99.0 98.9 - -1.3 0.2 0.1 -0.1

Petroleum and coal products manufacturing

324

2.276 84.3 93.5 16.4 6.5 8.4 -6.4 10.9

Chemical manufacturing

325

9.875 136.2 137.1 4.8 -0.1 0.1 0.8 0.7

Plastics and rubber products manufacturing

326

2.223 118.3 118.2 0.8 0.2 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1

Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing

327

1.002 128.8 128.8 -0.3 0.2 0.0 0.4 0.0

Manufacturing, part 3

33

61.192 104.1 104.2 1.0 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.1

Primary metal manufacturing

331

4.350 148.6 150.5 15.3 1.7 3.8 -0.3 1.3

Fabricated metal product manufacturing

332

3.146 125.7 125.7 3.5 0.5 0.8 0.7 0.0

Machinery manufacturing

333

7.103 117.7 117.6 1.1 0.7 0.3 -0.1 -0.1

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

334

17.379 75.6 75.5 -0.4 0.0 -0.5 0.0 -0.1

Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing

335

4.890 115.1 115.6 0.7 0.2 0.1 -0.1 0.4

Transportation equipment manufacturing

336

17.322 109.2 109.3 -0.5 0.0 0.1 -0.1 0.1

Furniture and related product manufacturing

337

1.724 115.8 115.8 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0

Miscellaneous manufacturing

339

5.279 117.6 117.8 -1.1 0.2 0.2 -0.3 0.2

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2015 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the 3 months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 4. U.S. export price indexes and percent changes for selected industries: November 2016 to November 2017 [December 2005=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description NAICS Relative
import-
ance
Oct.
2017(1)
Index Percent change
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Annual Monthly
Nov.
2016
to
Nov.
2017
July
2017
to
Aug.
2017
Aug.
2017
to
Sept.
2017
Sept.
2017
to
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2017
to
Nov.
2017

Nonmanufacturing

  7.585 137.5 137.6 12.6 -1.6 0.7 3.2 0.1

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

11

4.591 156.6 154.2 1.1 -0.7 -0.9 3.8 -1.5

Crop production

111

4.230 162.7 159.8 0.6 -0.8 -1.0 4.0 -1.8

Mining

21

2.994 87.8 90.0 35.3 -2.9 3.1 2.2 2.5

Mining (except oil and gas)

212

1.281 107.6 108.5 23.0 1.3 3.0 0.7 0.8

Manufacturing

  90.911 113.8 114.3 2.5 0.7 0.8 -0.1 0.4

Manufacturing, part 1

31

7.053 139.1 139.1 3.0 0.4 -0.4 0.1 0.0

Food manufacturing

311

4.757 158.1 157.6 3.3 0.6 -0.5 0.1 -0.3

Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing

312

0.714 114.7 117.5 8.3 0.1 0.8 -0.3 2.4

Textile mills (Dec. 2016=100)

313

0.663 101.2 101.2 - -0.1 0.3 0.1 0.0

Leather and allied product manufacturing (Dec. 2016=100)

316

0.271 95.6 95.8 - -1.6 -0.5 -0.7 0.2

Manufacturing, part 2

32

24.300 110.6 112.5 5.4 2.2 2.4 -0.7 1.7

Paper manufacturing

322

1.698 123.8 124.9 5.9 0.2 0.6 1.9 0.9

Petroleum and coal products manufacturing

324

5.520 101.1 107.9 19.1 9.5 8.2 -5.0 6.7

Chemical manufacturing

325

13.194 115.3 115.5 1.2 0.2 0.8 0.6 0.2

Plastics and rubber products manufacturing

326

2.270 114.5 114.2 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.0 -0.3

Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing

327

0.843 114.8 114.7 1.8 0.1 0.6 0.4 -0.1

Manufacturing, part 3

33

59.558 112.6 112.5 1.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 -0.1

Primary metal manufacturing

331

4.017 139.2 140.1 2.7 1.9 3.4 -2.1 0.6

Fabricated metal product manufacturing

332

3.272 138.1 138.0 5.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 -0.1

Machinery manufacturing

333

10.130 125.7 125.4 -0.3 0.2 0.0 -0.2 -0.2

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

334

14.081 83.3 83.3 0.5 0.0 -0.1 0.7 0.0

Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing

335

4.019 115.8 115.4 3.0 0.2 0.0 1.8 -0.3

Transportation equipment manufacturing

336

18.298 124.8 124.9 2.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Furniture and related product manufacturing (Dec. 2011=100)

337

0.449 117.6 117.5 -0.4 0.0 0.1 0.1 -0.1

Miscellaneous manufacturing

339

5.291 119.3 119.1 -0.6 0.3 0.2 -0.1 -0.2

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2015 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the 3 months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 5. U.S. import price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: November 2016 to November 2017 [2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description Harmo-
nized
system
Relative
import-
ance
Oct.
2017(1)
Index Percent change
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Annual Monthly
Nov.
2016
to
Nov.
2017
July
2017
to
Aug.
2017
Aug.
2017
to
Sept.
2017
Sept.
2017
to
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2017
to
Nov.
2017

Live animals; animal products

I

1.467 191.4 191.0 1.2 -1.0 -1.5 -0.1 -0.2

Meat and edible meat offal

02

0.447 248.4 246.2 3.7 -2.5 0.2 0.8 -0.9

Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

03

0.727 140.1 137.5 -5.4 -1.0 -0.7 0.6 -1.9

Vegetable products

II

2.200 233.1 223.5 -2.4 0.7 6.1 -0.9 -4.1

Edible vegetables, roots, and tubers

07

0.408 454.1 492.1 -0.7 -1.9 3.0 -3.1 8.4

Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons

08

1.046 151.5 133.9 -2.5 2.1 13.5 -0.3 -11.6

Coffee, tea, mate and spices

09

0.358 224.8 222.0 -9.4 0.3 -1.7 -2.0 -1.2

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

III

0.303 117.2 117.2 3.0 1.0 1.7 -1.0 0.0

Prepared foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco

IV

2.690 161.9 161.5 0.8 0.4 0.1 -0.3 -0.2

Sugars and sugar confectionary (Dec. 2012=100)

17

0.185 87.2 86.6 -1.6 -0.8 0.1 1.3 -0.7

Cocoa and cocoa preparations (Dec. 2009=100)

18

0.191 95.0 94.5 -11.3 0.7 -0.5 0.0 -0.5

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

20

0.365 171.2 171.8 6.9 0.4 0.9 0.6 0.4

Beverages, spirits, and vinegar

22

1.002 129.2 129.0 0.9 -0.1 0.3 0.2 -0.2

Mineral products

V

9.359 181.4 194.8 22.3 3.9 5.5 0.3 7.4

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

27

9.090 178.7 192.5 22.5 4.1 5.7 0.2 7.7

Products of the chemical or allied industries

VI

9.286 152.4 153.7 4.9 -0.1 0.0 0.7 0.9

Inorganic chemicals

28

0.537 272.5 283.2 13.9 -2.2 -3.9 4.6 3.9

Organic chemicals

29

2.408 125.7 128.0 6.8 0.2 1.1 0.8 1.8

Pharmaceutical products

30

4.282 148.0 148.1 3.9 0.0 -0.2 -0.2 0.1

Fertilizers (Dec. 2009=100)

31

0.275 78.7 81.0 9.2 -3.2 1.3 10.8 2.9

Tanning extracts; dye, pigments, varnish, paints & putty (Dec. 2011=100)

32

0.189 106.3 106.1 3.7 -0.1 -2.0 -0.4 -0.2

Essential oils and resinoids (Dec. 2016=100)

33

0.556 102.8 102.8 - 0.7 1.0 0.4 0.0

Miscellaneous chemical products

38

0.687 105.2 105.3 3.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof

VII

3.441 140.6 140.4 2.3 0.4 0.3 0.3 -0.1

Plastics and articles thereof

39

2.193 143.0 143.2 2.4 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.1

Rubber and articles thereof

40

1.247 137.7 136.8 1.9 0.7 0.4 -0.2 -0.7

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

VIII

0.683 124.1 124.1 0.6 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0

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

42

0.653 129.5 129.4 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.1 -0.1

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

IX

0.984 164.7 166.3 19.0 2.8 -0.7 2.9 1.0

Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal (Dec. 2014=100)

44

0.960 113.7 114.8 19.5 2.9 -0.6 3.0 1.0

Woodpulp, recovered paper, and paper products

X

1.085 110.9 111.2 2.2 -0.5 0.0 0.5 0.3

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

48

0.714 103.0 103.0 -0.6 0.1 -0.1 0.1 0.0

Printed matter (Dec. 2015=100)

49

0.216 104.9 104.9 0.9 -1.5 0.2 0.2 0.0

Textile and textile articles

XI

5.312 113.3 113.1 -0.1 0.2 0.1 -0.2 -0.2

Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted

61

2.195 103.6 103.4 -0.3 0.2 0.0 -0.3 -0.2

Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted

62

1.827 118.7 118.4 -0.7 0.0 0.1 -0.3 -0.3

Made-up or worn textile articles

63

0.653 103.9 103.8 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.0 -0.1

Headgear, umbrellas, artificial flowers, etc.

XII

1.501 121.6 121.7 -0.5 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 0.1

Footwear and parts of such articles

64

1.271 120.8 120.7 -0.7 0.1 -0.2 0.0 -0.1

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

XIII

0.940 131.0 130.8 0.0 0.4 0.2 0.3 -0.2

Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, or mica (Dec. 2015=100)

68

0.326 97.2 97.3 -0.4 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.1

Ceramic products

69

0.269 136.4 136.2 -0.7 0.4 0.2 0.4 -0.1

Glass and glassware

70

0.346 131.5 131.1 1.1 0.6 0.3 0.2 -0.3

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

XIV

2.801 170.6 172.0 -0.5 2.0 2.5 -2.5 0.8

Base metals and articles of base metals

XV

5.722 173.8 174.8 11.9 0.7 2.3 0.8 0.6

Iron and steel

72

1.395 204.0 203.7 21.4 1.1 1.7 1.7 -0.1

Articles of iron or steel

73

1.724 147.7 147.7 7.6 -0.8 1.4 1.0 0.0

Copper and articles thereof

74

0.410 292.0 301.2 21.2 5.1 5.3 -2.9 3.2

Aluminum and articles thereof

76

0.846 136.3 137.5 13.3 0.1 2.9 2.6 0.9

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

82

0.428 122.0 122.0 0.0 0.4 0.0 -0.8 0.0

Miscellaneous articles of base metal

83

0.521 137.7 137.8 1.7 0.3 0.6 0.1 0.1

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

XVI

29.603 80.6 80.6 0.1 0.1 -0.1 0.0 0.0

Machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof

84

14.820 86.6 86.5 1.3 0.3 0.1 0.2 -0.1

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

85

14.783 75.0 75.1 -0.9 0.0 -0.5 -0.1 0.1

Vehicles, aircraft, vessels and associated transport equipment

XVII

14.447 113.7 113.7 -0.5 0.1 0.1 -0.2 0.0

Motor vehicles and their parts

87

12.997 112.7 112.7 -0.2 0.1 0.1 -0.2 0.0

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

88

1.319 115.8 115.9 -2.5 -0.3 0.1 0.3 0.1

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

XVIII

3.843 102.0 101.8 -0.7 0.2 0.2 0.0 -0.2

Optical, photographic, measuring and medical instruments

90

3.515 98.6 98.4 -0.9 0.1 0.3 0.0 -0.2

Clocks and watches and parts thereof

91

0.268 143.9 143.9 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Miscellaneous manufactured articles

XX

4.256 111.2 111.4 -0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2

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

94

2.637 116.9 117.3 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.3

Toys, games and sports equipment; parts and accessories thereof

95

1.346 101.3 101.3 -1.9 -0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Miscellaneous manufactured articles

96

0.273 129.8 129.8 -1.5 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2015 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the 3 months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 6. U.S. export price indexes and percent changes for selected categories of goods: November 2016 to November 2017 [2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description Harmo-
nized
system
Relative
import-
ance
Oct.
2017(1)
Index Percent change
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Annual Monthly
Nov.
2016
to
Nov.
2017
July
2017
to
Aug.
2017
Aug.
2017
to
Sept.
2017
Sept.
2017
to
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2017
to
Nov.
2017

Live animals; animal products

I

1.910 208.8 206.4 7.2 0.2 -1.8 0.1 -1.1

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

02

1.123 166.5 164.5 11.4 0.2 -2.7 0.0 -1.2

Fish and crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic invertebrates (Dec. 2016=100)

03

0.415 112.9 112.2 - 0.5 0.5 2.5 -0.6

Vegetable products

II

4.347 200.0 195.5 0.7 -0.6 -0.6 4.8 -2.3

Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons

08

0.851 144.7 148.3 -2.2 1.9 1.4 2.0 2.5

Cereals

10

1.206 178.8 180.0 5.3 -5.2 -3.8 2.7 0.7

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

12

1.624 199.0 199.5 -0.2 1.2 -0.3 -0.4 0.3

Prepared foodstuffs, beverages,and tobacco

IV

3.064 149.4 149.7 1.1 0.3 0.3 -0.1 0.2

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

20

0.380 117.6 117.5 0.7 -0.1 -0.4 0.9 -0.1

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

22

0.547 112.4 110.1 -1.7 0.6 0.4 -0.1 -2.0

Residues and waste from the food industries; prepared animal feed

23

0.703 194.5 201.4 0.0 -0.9 1.5 0.3 3.5

Mineral products

V

8.747 211.8 223.1 24.3 4.7 6.3 -2.4 5.3

Ores, slag and ash (Dec. 2012=100)

26

0.607 103.7 105.9 23.4 3.1 6.9 1.8 2.1

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

27

7.948 202.3 213.9 25.0 4.9 6.4 -2.8 5.7

Products of the chemical or allied industries

VI

10.768 135.4 135.4 -0.4 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.0

Inorganic chemicals

28

0.748 158.1 158.7 -9.7 1.1 -3.4 0.6 0.4

Organic chemicals

29

2.608 137.1 138.0 2.8 1.1 2.0 1.0 0.7

Pharmaceutical products

30

3.152 105.4 104.8 -3.1 0.4 0.1 0.0 -0.6

Fertilizers (Dec. 2016=100)

31

0.239 104.4 106.2 - -1.0 -1.4 -0.1 1.7

Tanning or dyeing extracts, dyes, paints varnish, putty, & inks (Dec. 2015=100)

32

0.539 102.4 102.2 4.9 -1.7 1.1 3.0 -0.2

Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery cosmetic or toilet preparations

33

0.805 132.1 132.6 1.1 -0.2 0.2 -0.3 0.4

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

34

0.552 125.8 126.4 8.8 0.1 -0.7 -2.4 0.5

Miscellaneous chemical products

38

1.737 144.7 144.4 -1.2 0.1 0.0 0.3 -0.2

Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof

VII

5.114 139.7 139.8 2.0 -0.1 1.0 1.3 0.1

Plastics and articles thereof

39

4.173 135.7 136.4 2.9 0.1 1.1 1.2 0.5

Rubber and articles thereof

40

0.941 156.0 153.4 -1.9 -0.7 0.6 1.5 -1.7

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

VIII

0.321 114.7 114.9 -5.1 -2.3 -0.7 -1.4 0.2

Wood, wood charcoal, cork, straw, baskets and wickerwork (Dec. 2014=100)

IX

0.661 103.7 104.4 11.1 0.8 1.6 2.9 0.7

Woodpulp, recovered paper, and paper products

X

2.015 121.1 128.6 4.6 -0.8 -2.6 -3.9 6.2

Woodpulp and recovered paper

47

0.553 112.9 136.0 4.0 -2.5 -7.9 -15.6 20.5

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

48

1.114 124.4 124.4 5.0 -0.1 0.1 1.7 0.0

Printed material (Dec. 2014=100)

49

0.348 101.5 105.1 4.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.5

Textile and textile articles

XI

1.711 119.5 119.8 0.3 0.3 -0.4 -0.1 0.3

Cotton, including yarns and woven fabrics thereof

52

0.437 123.1 125.4 2.4 0.9 -1.8 -1.5 1.9

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

XIII

0.828 123.5 123.5 0.3 -0.1 0.3 0.2 0.0

Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, or mica (Dec. 2015=100)

68

0.275 101.4 101.3 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.1 -0.1

Glass and glassware

70

0.421 99.1 99.0 -0.8 -0.2 0.4 0.4 -0.1

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

XIV

4.192 234.6 235.4 -0.2 1.7 2.9 -2.5 0.3

Base metals and articles of base metals

XV

5.046 157.3 157.1 8.6 1.2 2.3 0.2 -0.1

Iron and steel

72

1.101 168.8 162.6 12.4 3.0 5.4 0.0 -3.7

Copper and articles thereof

74

0.531 190.7 195.3 24.6 4.3 5.2 1.0 2.4

Aluminum and articles thereof

76

0.861 115.9 119.0 11.9 1.3 3.7 0.1 2.7

Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal (Dec. 2015=100)

82

0.344 99.5 99.5 -0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Miscellaneous articles of base metal

83

0.342 148.2 148.2 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0

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

XVI

28.542 96.7 96.6 1.4 0.1 -0.1 0.4 -0.1

Machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof

84

16.696 113.9 113.8 1.4 0.1 -0.2 0.1 -0.1

Electrical machinery and equipment and parts and accessories thereof

85

11.846 78.2 78.1 1.4 0.1 -0.1 1.2 -0.1

Vehicles, aircraft, vessels and associated transport equipment

XVII

14.847 133.2 133.3 1.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.1

Motor vehicles and their parts

87

8.590 115.3 115.3 0.5 0.1 0.1 -0.1 0.0

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

XVIII

6.008 107.2 107.0 0.8 0.3 0.1 0.4 -0.2

Miscellaneous manufactured articles

XX

1.464 112.2 110.8 -1.5 0.0 -0.1 0.0 -1.2

Furniture; stuffed furnishings; lamps and lighting fittings nesoi;

94

0.886 128.2 125.7 -2.3 -0.1 0.0 0.0 -2.0

Toys, games and sports equipment; parts and accessories thereof

95

0.429 88.8 88.8 -0.6 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2015 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the 3 months after original publication.
Dash = Not available


Table 7. U.S. import price indexes and percent changes by locality of origin: November 2016 to November 2017 [2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description Relative
import-
ance
Oct.
2017(1)
Index Percent change
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Annual Monthly
Nov.
2016
to
Nov.
2017
July
2017
to
Aug.
2017
Aug.
2017
to
Sept.
2017
Sept.
2017
to
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2017
to
Nov.
2017

Industrialized Countries(2)

100.000 120.5 121.5 3.4 0.7 0.7 0.0 0.8

Nonmanufacturing

8.636 138.9 147.1 19.5 2.2 2.4 0.9 5.9

Manufacturing

90.888 118.5 118.9 2.0 0.5 0.5 -0.1 0.3

Other Countries(3)

100.000 120.3 121.5 2.9 0.4 0.8 -0.1 1.0

Nonmanufacturing

9.401 209.6 215.9 19.4 2.4 6.3 0.7 3.0

Manufacturing

90.393 103.1 103.9 1.4 0.3 0.2 -0.2 0.8

Canada

100.000 126.9 129.7 8.3 1.1 1.0 0.9 2.2

Nonmanufacturing

23.662 132.1 140.3 19.2 2.3 2.0 0.8 6.2

Manufacturing

75.543 129.4 130.7 5.1 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.0

European Union(4)

100.000 133.9 134.1 1.7 0.8 0.3 -0.1 0.1

Manufacturing

99.364 130.5 130.8 1.9 0.7 0.3 -0.1 0.2

France (Dec. 2003=100)

100.000 125.8 125.9 3.2 1.6 0.4 0.3 0.1

Germany (Dec. 2003=100)

100.000 115.4 115.2 2.8 0.4 0.2 0.3 -0.2

United Kingdom (Dec. 2003=100)

100.000 118.6 118.6 0.9 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.0

Latin America(5)

100.000 146.8 147.9 6.3 0.6 1.5 0.5 0.7

Nonmanufacturing

19.181 242.5 246.6 19.8 2.8 7.9 -0.9 1.7

Manufacturing

80.481 121.5 122.1 3.6 0.2 0.1 0.8 0.5

Mexico (Dec. 2003=100)

100.000 128.8 128.7 3.4 0.5 1.4 -0.2 -0.1

Nonmanufacturing (Dec. 2008=100)

9.640 136.6 131.5 10.9 3.2 14.1 -6.4 -3.7

Manufacturing (Dec. 2008=100)

90.056 88.7 89.0 2.8 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.3

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

100.000 98.3 98.4 0.0 0.0 -0.1 -0.1 0.1

China (Dec. 2003=100)

100.000 99.8 100.1 -0.1 0.0 -0.3 0.0 0.3

Japan

100.000 95.5 95.4 -1.2 -0.4 0.1 -0.3 -0.1

Asian NICs(7)

100.000 87.6 87.5 3.8 0.2 0.7 0.3 -0.1

ASEAN (Dec. 2003=100)(8)

100.000 98.1 98.0 0.9 0.1 0.2 0.0 -0.1

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

100.000 162.3 167.8 12.4 0.4 3.4 5.7 3.4

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2015 trade values.
(2) Western Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
(3) Eastern Europe, Latin America, OPEC countries, and other countries in Asia, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere.
(4) European Union countries.
(5) Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
(6) China, Japan, Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and the Asian Newly Industrialized Countries.
(7) Asian Newly Industrialized Countries - Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.
(8) Association of Southeast Asian Nations - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
(9) 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 3 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: November 2016 to November 2017 [2000=100, unless otherwise noted]
Description Relative
import-
ance
Oct.
2017(1)
Index Percent change
Oct.
2017
Nov.
2017
Annual Monthly
Nov.
2016
to
Nov.
2017
July
2017
to
Aug.
2017
Aug.
2017
to
Sept.
2017
Sept.
2017
to
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2017
to
Nov.
2017

Air Freight

Import Air Freight

100.000 175.5 187.6 13.0 0.2 0.4 -4.0 6.9

Europe (Dec. 2003=100)

24.336 145.1 145.9 5.0 1.0 2.1 -1.8 0.6

Asia

63.756 165.9 183.3 18.9 -0.2 0.0 -5.5 10.5

Export Air Freight

100.000 166.9 169.9 9.9 -0.3 0.5 5.4 1.8

Europe (Dec. 2006=100)

31.891 150.1 150.1 3.2 0.0 0.7 1.5 0.0

Inbound Air Freight

100.000 162.2 171.1 10.2 0.4 0.5 -2.5 5.5

Europe (Dec. 2003=100)

25.263 130.4 128.3 -3.8 0.6 1.6 -4.5 -1.6

Asia

61.941 155.7 170.5 18.1 0.4 0.1 -2.3 9.5

Outbound Air Freight

100.000 140.4 142.4 4.4 -1.5 -1.4 1.0 1.4

Europe (Dec. 2003=100)

30.259 143.8 147.5 2.9 0.0 -1.5 0.0 2.6

Asia

46.213 134.0 136.8 6.4 -3.1 -2.4 0.2 2.1

Air Passenger Fares

Import Air Passenger Fares

100.000 186.4 182.2 -0.9 -10.6 8.5 8.8 -2.3

Europe

41.979 212.2 218.9 0.4 -12.4 18.8 9.9 3.2

Asia

21.124 135.5 129.2 3.6 -8.4 4.4 0.3 -4.6

Latin America/Caribbean

9.113 155.1 162.4 0.4 -2.5 -5.7 1.6 4.7

Export Air Passenger Fares

100.000 153.0 153.6 -1.7 -2.1 -8.2 3.6 0.4

Europe

32.889 212.6 214.7 5.3 -14.1 13.6 3.1 1.0

Asia

23.200 116.0 119.3 -11.4 16.4 -20.5 -2.4 2.8

Latin America/Caribbean

23.981 160.0 164.7 1.1 -1.5 -3.6 -1.7 2.9

Footnotes
(1) Relative importance figures are based on 2015 trade values.

NOTES: Data may be revised in each of the 3 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 2-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 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 Producer Price Index (PPI) 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 indexes and excluded from 
the export air passenger fares indexes. 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 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. 

Relative Importance - A relative importance is a specific index's price-updated value share (expressed 
as a percentage) of overall imports or exports at a specific point in time. Relative importance values are 
affected by the trade weights at the point indexes are reweighted and index changes relative to other 
indexes since the reweight point. If an index is rising in value relative to other indexes over time, the 
relative importance will increase as well. 
 
Revision Policy - To reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents, monthly data 
may be revised in each of the 3 months after original publication. After 3 months, no further data 
revisions take place. For example, data first published 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 (NIPA) 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 NIPA, 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.

Email Subscription - The U.S. import and export price indexes news release is available through an 
email subscription service at www.bls.gov/bls/list.htm. 
 
Additional Information - More detailed data are available on the Import/Export Price Indexes home 
page at www.bls.gov/mxp. For import and export price indexes data requests, send an email 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: December 14, 2017