September 2019 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2019-10-11

U.S. import prices increased 0.2 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following a 0.2-percent decline the previous month. The advance in September was driven by higher fuel prices; prices for nonfuel goods edged down 0.1 percent. The price index for U.S. exports fell 0.2 percent in September, after decreasing 0.6 percent in August. Prices for U.S. imports advanced 0.2 percent in September, after decreasing 0.2 percent in August and unchanged in July. The price index for U.S. imports has not recorded an increase larger than 0.2 percent since the index rose 0.6 percent in March. U.S. import prices declined 1.6 percent from September 2018 to September 2019. (See table 1.) Fuel Imports: Import fuel prices rose 2.1 percent in September following a 1.9-percent decline in August. Higher prices for petroleum drove the September increase, more than offsetting lower natural gas prices.