November 14, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Higher agricultural export prices in October

Export prices increased 0.3 percent in October, following a 0.4-percent rise in September.

[Chart data—TXT]

The advance was again led by higher agricultural prices, which were up 2.5 percent in October after rising 5.6 percent in the previous month. Higher prices for soybeans, meat, and cotton all contributed to the October increase.

The price index for nonagricultural exports rose 0.1 percent in October after declining the same amount in September. The price indexes for nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials, for automotive vehicles, parts, and engines, and for consumer goods each increased in October. The price index for capital goods was the only major nonagricultural commodity price index to decrease in October.

The index for overall import prices rose 0.1 percent last month after declining 0.4 percent in September.

These data come from the BLS International Price Program program. Import and export price data are subject to revision. To learn more, see "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes, October 2003" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 03-719.