March 12, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Import prices in February

Overall import prices rose for the fifth consecutive month, increasing 0.4 percent in February following a 1.5-percent advance in January.

[Chart data—TXT]

Petroleum prices posted little movement last month, increasing 0.2 percent after rising 17.1 percent over the previous four months. Nonpetroleum import prices were up 0.4 percent in February after increasing 0.8 percent the previous month. 

Overall import prices increased 0.8 percent for the year ended in February, as prices of nonpetroleum imports rose 1.8 percent while petroleum prices declined 4.9 percent over the same period.

Export prices were up 0.6 percent in both January and February, the largest increase over two months since 1995. Higher prices for both agricultural exports and nonagricultural exports contributed to the overall increase in February.

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 - February 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-379.