Import and export prices up again in September 2012

U.S. import prices advanced 1.1 percent for the second consecutive month in September after falling the previous four months. The price index for U.S. exports rose 0.8 percent in September following a 1.0-percent advance in August.

[Chart data]

August and September were the first monthly increases in the import price index since a 1.4-percent rise in March. Higher fuel prices were the largest contributor to the September advance in overall import prices, although nonfuel prices increased as well. Rising prices for both agricultural and nonagricultural prices contributed to the September advance in export prices.

Despite the recent advances, import prices declined 0.6 percent over the past 12 months, making September the fifth consecutive month of declining year-over-year changes. The same was true for export prices, which fell 0.5 percent between September 2011 and September 2012.

[Chart data]

These data are from the International Price program. Import and export prices are subject to revision. To learn more, see "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — September 2012" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-12-2031.