Export prices increase in August 2009

The price index for overall exports increased 0.7 percent in August, led upward mostly by a 0.8-percent advance in nonagricultural export prices.

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The August rise followed a 0.3-percent decline in July and resumed the upward trend recorded in April, May, and June.

The price index for nonagricultural exports rose 0.8 percent in August, the largest one-month rise since the index increased 0.9 percent in July 2008. The advance was driven by a rise in nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials prices. Prices for each of the major finished goods areas also contributed to the overall increase. August marked the fifth consecutive month the price index for nonagricultural prices advanced.

Agricultural prices ticked up 0.2 percent in August after a 4.9-percent decline in July. Falling wheat prices were more than offset by higher prices for fruit and corn.

These data are from the BLS International Price program. Import and export price data are subject to revision. For more information, see "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes – August 2009" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-09-1099.