Import prices in the U.S. rose by much more than expected in the month of February, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Wednesday, with the price growth largely due to a jump in fuel import prices.

The Labor Department said import prices jumped by 1.1 percent in February following a 0.6 percent increase in January. Economists had been expecting import prices to increase by 0.6 percent.

The report also showed that export prices rose by 0.8 percent in February after edging up by 0.3 percent in the previous month. Export prices had been expected to inch up by 0.2 percent.