February 2009 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2009-03-13

The U.S. Import Price Index edged down 0.2 percent in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today, as declining nonpetroleum prices more than offset an upturn in petroleum prices. Export prices also recorded a modest decrease in February, falling 0.1 percent. Percent changes in import and export price indexes by End Use category - not seasonally adjusted - Import prices fell 0.2 percent in February after declining 1.2 percent in January. The index decreased every month since July 2008 and fell 12.8 percent for the year ended in February, the largest 12-month decline since the index was first published in 1982. The February decrease was led by a 0.6 percent drop in nonpetroleum prices which fell for the seventh consecutive month. Nonpetroleum import prices declined 1.9 percent over the past year. In contrast, petroleum prices advanced 3.9 percent in February after falling 68.9 percent from July through January.