January 15, 2008 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Export prices in 2007

Overall, export prices rose 6.0 percent from December 2006 to December 2007. This followed smaller increases of 2.8 percent in 2005 and 4.5 percent in 2006.

Over-the-year percent change in price index for exports, 2001– 2007 (December to December)
[Chart data—TXT]

The 2007 advance was the sixth consecutive annual rise and the largest calendar-year increase since a 6.2-percent advance in 1988. 

The price index for agricultural exports rose 23.5 percent over 2007 after a 13.5-percent advance the previous year. The 2007 increase was the largest calendar-year advance since the index was first published in March 1985.

Nonagricultural prices rose 4.5 percent in 2007 after a 3.7-percent increase in 2006.

These data are from the BLS International Price program. Export price data for December 2007 are subject to revision. Learn more in "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes -- December 2007" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 08-0045.