April 2016 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2016-05-12

The price index for U.S. imports rose 0.3 percent in April following a 0.3-percent increase in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The increases in both April and March were led by higher fuel prices. U.S. export prices increased 0.5 percent in April, after recording no change the previous month. Both agricultural and nonagricultural export prices contributed to the April advance. All Imports: The consecutive 0.3-percent increases in April and March were the first monthly advances since the index ticked up 0.1 percent in June 2015 and the largest increases since a 1.1-percent rise in May 2015. Higher fuel prices drove the April advance although nonfuel prices also contributed to the overall increase in import prices. Import prices declined 5.7 percent over the past year, the smallest over-the-year drop since the index fell 5.6 percent in December 2014.