November 2009 U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes — 2009-12-11

The U.S. Import Price Index advanced 1.7 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, led by a 7.3 percent rise in fuel prices. The increase followed a 0.8 percent advance in October. U.S. export prices rose 0.8 percent in November after a 0.2 percent increase the previous month. All Imports: The 1.7 percent increase in U.S. imports in November continued the upward trend for the index. Import prices have risen in eight of the past nine months, increasing 10.1 percent over that period. The November advance for overall import prices was driven by higher fuel prices, which accounted for approximately 80 percent of the increase. The price index for U.S. imports advanced 3.7 percent for the year ended in November, the first time the index increased over a 12-month period since a 4.9 percent advance for the October 2007-2008 period.