May 2009 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2009-06-12

The U.S. Import Price Index increased for the third consecutive month in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today, rising 1.3 percent. An 8.3 percent increase in petroleum prices was the primary contributor to the overall advance. The U.S. Export Price Index rose 0.6 percent in May after increasing 0.4 percent in April. Percent changes in import and export price indexes by End Use category - not seasonally adjusted - Prices of U.S. imports rose 1.3 percent in May, the third consecutive increase and largest monthly advance since a 1.4 percent advance in July 2008. The May increase was led by an 8.3 percent gain in petroleum prices which followed a 28.6 percent increase from January through April. Despite the recent jump in petroleum prices, the index fell 51.4 percent over the past year. Nonpetroleum prices rose 0.2 percent in May, the first increase for the index since July 2008.