September 2010 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2010-10-13

U.S. import prices fell 0.3 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following a 0.6 percent increase the previous month. Declining fuel prices more than offset an increase in nonfuel prices. In contrast, the price index for U.S. exports rose 0.6 percent in September after a 0.8 percent rise in August. All Imports: Import prices fell 0.3 percent in September after rising 0.6 percent in August, the only monthly advance since April. The index rose 3.5 percent over the past year, the smallest increase on a 12-month basis since a 3.4 percent advance for the November 2008-09 period. Fuel Imports: A 3.1 percent drop in fuel prices drove the September decline in import prices. The downturn followed increases of 1.7 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively, the previous two months. Falling prices for both petroleum products and natural gas, down 3.1 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively, contributed to the overall decline in fuel prices.