U.S. Import And Export Price Indexes — 1998-09-15

The U.S. Import Price Index declined 0.3 percent in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The August decrease, the 10th consecutive monthly decline for the index, was attributable to the continued decline for nonpetroleum import prices. The U.S. Export Price Index fell 0.6 percent in August, after falling 0.1 percent and 0.6 percent in July and June, respectively. Percent changes in import and export price indexes by End Use category - not seasonally adjusted - IMPORTS EXPORTS Month Non- Agri- Nonagri- All Petroleum petroleum All cultural cultural Imports Imports Imports Exports Exports Exports The 0.3 percent decline for import prices in August continued a three- year downward trend. Over the past 12 months, the index fell 6.4 percent compared with a 2.2 percent drop in the August 1996-97 period. Prices for nonpetroleum imports, which fell for the 11th consecutive month, were down 0.3 percent in August.