February 2014 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2014-03-13

U.S. import prices increased 0.9 percent in February following a 0.4 percent advance the previous month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The February advance was led by higher fuel prices which more than offset declining nonfuel prices. U.S. export prices rose 0.6 percent in February, after increasing 0.2 percent in January. All Imports: Import prices rose for the third consecutive month in February, increasing 0.9 percent. Despite the recent increases, prices for overall imports decreased 1.1 percent for the year ended in February, after declining 0.6 percent from February 2012 to February 2013. Fuel Imports: The price index for import fuel increased 5.1 percent in February, the largest monthly advance for fuel prices since the index rose 6.1 percent in August 2012. A 4.4 percent increase in petroleum prices and a 22.4 percent jump in natural gas prices both contributed to the overall advance in fuel prices.