October 2018 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2018-11-15

Prices for U.S. imports increased 0.5 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after advancing 0.2 percent in September. Higher fuel and nonfuel prices contributed to the October increase. U.S. export prices advanced 0.4 percent in October after recording no change in September. Import prices advanced 0.5 percent in October, the largest monthly increase since a 0.9-percent rise in May. Prices for U.S. imports rose 3.5 percent from October 2017 to October 2018 and have not recorded an over- the-year decrease in 2 years when the index declined 0.2 in October 2016. (See table 1.) Fuel Imports: The price index for import fuels increased 3.3 percent in October, after advancing 0.7 percent in September; the rise was the largest monthly advance since a 6.1-percent increase in May. Higher prices for both petroleum and natural gas contributed to the advance in October.