August 2020 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2020-09-15

U.S. import prices rose 0.9 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following advances of 1.2 percent in July and 1.4 percent in June. Higher prices for both fuel and nonfuel imports contributed to the August increase. Prices for U.S. exports also advanced in August, rising 0.5 percent, after increasing 0.9 percent the previous month. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on August 2020 Import and Export Price Index Data The Bureau of Labor Statistics did not make changes to either the collection method or estimation methodology for the August release of U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes. Survey response rates for August were 3.5-percentage points lower than those in August 2019. A small number of indexes that are normally published were not published in August. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/import-export-price-indexes-covid19-impacts-august-2020.htm. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Prices for U.S. imports advanced 0.9 percent in August, after rising 3.3 percent from April to July.