April 2019 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2019-05-14

U.S. import prices advanced 0.2 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after increasing 0.6 percent in March. The April advance was driven by higher fuel prices, which more than offset decreasing prices for nonfuel imports. Prices for U.S. exports rose 0.2 percent in April after a 0.6-percent rise in March. The price index for U.S. imports rose 0.2 percent in April, continuing the upward trend that began in January. The April rise followed a 0.6-percent advance in March and a 1.0-percent increase in February. Despite the recent monthly advances, import prices declined 0.2 percent for the 12-month period ended in April. The April year-over-year decrease was driven by lower nonfuel prices. (See table 1.) Fuel Imports: The price index for fuel imports rose 2.5 percent in April, after increasing 6.9 percent in March and 10.2 percent in February. A 6.1-percent rise in petroleum prices drove the increase in fuel prices.