May 16, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Import prices in April 2005

Prices for overall imports increased 0.8 percent in April after rising 3.5 percent over the first three months of 2005.

Over-the-month percent change in price index for imports, April 2004 – April 2005 (not seasonally adjusted)
[Chart data—TXT]

Petroleum prices rose 3.1 percent in April after a 12.3 percent jump in March and increases of 5.0 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively, in February and January. The price index for import petroleum advanced 43.1 percent over the past year. 

Prices for nonpetroleum imports also increased in April, rising 0.4 percent, following a 0.3-percent advance in March. Nonpetroleum import prices have declined only once in the past 12 months and increased 3.0 percent over that period. Overall import prices rose 8.1 percent for the year ended in April.

Prices of exports rose 0.6 percent for the second consecutive month in April, as both agricultural and nonagricultural prices increased.

These data are from the BLS International Price program. Import and export price data are subject to revision. Learn more in "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes - April 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-835.

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