U.S. Import And Export Price Indexes — 2001-11-08

The U.S. Import Price Index decreased 2.4 percent in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The decline, the largest since the Bureau began monthly publication of this index in 1989, was primarily attributable to a sharp decrease in petroleum prices. The Export Price Index also fell in October, down 0.7 percent, its largest drop since a similar decrease in January 1998. Despite the disruption in the metropolitan Washington mail service, response rates for October were not appreciably different from normal levels. Percent changes in import and export price indexes by End Use category -not seasonally adjusted- Month Non- Agri- Nonagri- All Petroleum petroleum All cultural cultural Imports Imports Imports Exports Exports Exports 2000 October -0.4 -2.8 0.0 -0.1 0.5 -0.1 November 0.0 0.9 -0.1 0.0 1.0 -0.1 December -0.6 -9.8 0.8 -0.2 1.2 -0.3 2001 January 0.0 -6.0 1.0 0.2 0.5 0.2 February -0.7 0.3 -0.8 -0.1 -1.4 0.0 March -1.5 -6.5