May 2014 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2014-06-12

U.S. import prices ticked up 0.1 percent in May, after a 0.5-percent downturn in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Higher fuel prices drove the increase in May, after declining fuel prices led the decrease the previous month. The price index for U.S. exports also rose 0.1 percent in May following a 1.0-percent decrease in April. All Imports: Prices for U.S. imports resumed an upward trend, increasing 0.1 percent in May, after falling 0.5 percent the previous month. Prior to April, import prices rose 1.9 percent over the first quarter of 2014. Import prices advanced 0.4 percent over the past 12 months, driven by higher fuel prices which more than offset a decline in nonfuel prices. Fuel Imports: Fuel prices rose 0.5 percent in May following a 2.7-percent drop the previous month.