September 2016 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2016-10-13

Prices for U.S. imports increased 0.1 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following a 0.2-percent decline the previous month. The September advance was led by higher fuel prices. U.S. export prices rose 0.3 percent in September, after decreasing 0.8 percent in August. All Imports: U.S. import prices resumed an upward trend in September, increasing 0.1 percent, after a 0.2- percent decline in August. Prior to August, import prices had risen in each of the previous 5 months, advancing 3.1 percent between February and July. Despite those increases, import prices continue to decline on a 12-month basis, falling 1.1 percent between September 2015 and September 2016. The 1.1 percent decrease was the smallest drop on an over-the-year basis since the index fell 0.3 percent in August 2014. Fuel Imports: Import fuel prices rose 1.1 percent in September, after a 2.4-percent drop in August and a 2.1-percent decline in July.