September 14, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Petroleum import prices up slightly in August

The U.S. Import Price Index rose 0.2 percent in August following no change in July. The increase was attributable to a rise in both petroleum and nonpetroleum import prices.

Percent change in price index for petroleum imports, August 1999-August 2000
[Chart data—TXT]

In August, imported petroleum prices increased 0.6 percent after a 1.6 percent decline in July and a 10.6 percent jump in June. Nonpetroleum import prices edged up 0.1 percent in August and have increased in six of the past seven months.

Over the past 12 months petroleum prices rose 45.8 percent.

These data are a product of the BLS International Price program. Learn more in "U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes: August 2000" news release USDL 00-263. Note: import price data are subject to revision in each of the three months after original publication.