June 9, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Import, export prices up in May

The U.S. Import Price Index increased 0.6 percent in May. The increase in May was attributable to a 6.5 percent upturn in petroleum prices, as nonpetroleum prices declined 0.2 percent.

[Chart data—TXT]

Export prices also rose in May, up 0.2 percent, after dipping 0.1 percent in April. Both agricultural and nonagricultural exports posted gains in May. Led by higher prices for soybeans and wheat, the index for agricultural exports increased 0.2 percent. Nonagricultural export prices also increased in May, gaining 0.1 percent. The rise for nonagricultural exports was attributable to an increase for nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials.

These data are a product of the BLS International Price program. Learn more in "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes - May 2000," news release USDL 00-168. Note: import and export price data are subject to revision in each of the three months after original publication.