October 11, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Import and export prices advance in September

The U.S. Import Price Index increased 0.7 percent in September following a 0.3-percent rise in August. The increase was the sixth monthly gain in the past seven months.

Over-the-month percent change in price index for imports, September 2001-September 2002 (not seasonally adjusted)
[Chart data—TXT]

Petroleum prices were up 6.0 percent last month after gaining 2.8 percent in August and 3.8 percent in July. The petroleum index, which increased in eight of the past nine months, has advanced 61.1 percent since December 2001. The price index for nonpetroleum imports also rose in September, increasing 0.2 percent after no change in August.

Led by the continued rise in agricultural export prices, the index for overall exports rose 0.2 percent in September.

These data are a product of the BLS International Price program. Learn more in "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes - September 2002" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 02-580.

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