February 2018 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2018-03-15

U.S. import prices increased 0.4 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after rising 0.8 percent in January. In February, higher nonfuel prices more than offset declining prices for imported fuel. Prices for U.S. exports rose 0.2 percent in February following a 0.8-percent advance the previous month. All Imports: The price index for U.S. imports rose 0.4 percent in February, the seventh consecutive monthly increase, after advancing 0.8 percent in January. The last time the index declined on a monthly basis was a 0.2-percent drop in July 2017. Import prices advanced 3.5 percent for the 12-month period ended in February, matching the 12-month rise in November. Those were the largest annual increases since the index rose 3.6 percent for the 12-month period ended April 2017. Fuel Imports: The price index for fuel imports declined 0.6 percent in February, the first monthly decline since July.