April 2013 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2013-05-14

U.S. import prices fell 0.5 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following a 0.2 percent decrease in March. Lower prices for both fuel and nonfuel imports contributed to the declines in each month. Prices for U.S. exports decreased 0.7 percent in April after a 0.5 percent decline in March. All Imports: The price index for U.S. imports decreased for the second consecutive month in April, after increasing the two months prior to March. The April decrease was largely driven by lower fuel prices, although nonfuel prices also declined in April. Import prices fell 2.6 percent over the past 12 months, the largest year-over-year decline since a 3.3 percent decrease between July 2011 and July 2012. Fuel Imports: Fuel prices continued to decline in April, decreasing 1.7 percent after falling 0.6 percent in March.