May 2020 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2020-06-12

Prices for U.S. imports increased 1.0 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after declining 2.6 percent in April and 2.4 percent in March. The May advance was led by higher fuel prices. The price index for U.S. exports rose 0.5 percent in May following a 3.3-percent drop the previous month. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on May 2020 Import and Export Price Index Data The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not make any changes to either the collection method or estimation methodology for the May release of U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes. Survey response rates for May were 4.5 percentage points lower than those in May 2019. A small number of indexes that are normally published were not published in May. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/import- export-price-indexes-covid19-impacts-may-2020.htm. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Prices for U.S. imports rose 1.0 percent in May, the largest 1-month advance since the index increased 1.0 percent in February 2019.