August 08, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Import and export prices increase in July

After declining by 0.3 percent in June, the U.S. Import Price Index resumed its upward trend in July, increasing by 0.4 percent. The increase, the fourth in the past five months, was led by a rise in petroleum prices.

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

Imported petroleum prices were up 4.9 percent in July, after dropping 4.8 percent in June. Prices for nonpetroleum imports, in contrast, were unchanged in July. The price index for petroleum products has increased 47.4 percent since December 2001.

The Export Price Index also rose in July—by 0.3 percent—following two months of no change, as prices for both agricultural and nonagricultural exports increased. 

These data are a product of the BLS International Price program. Learn more in "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes - July 2002" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 02-467. Note: import and export price data are subject to revision in each of the three months after original publication.

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