July 2013 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2013-08-13

Prices for U.S. imports rose 0.2 percent in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after decreasing in each of the previous 4 months. The July upturn was driven by rising fuel prices which more than offset lower nonfuel prices. In July, U.S. exports edged down 0.1 percent for the second consecutive month. All Imports: Import prices turned up 0.2 percent in July, after declining 1.8 percent over the prior 4 months. The July increase was the first advance since import prices rose 0.9 percent in February. The price index for overall imports increased 1.0 percent over the past year, the largest 12-month rise since import prices advanced 3.5 percent between March 2011 and March 2012. Fuel Imports: Fuel prices increased 2.5 percent in July following a 0.8 percent decline in June, a 1.7 percent drop in May, and a 2.4 percent decrease in April.