Prices for U.S. imports decreased 1.0 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after a 1.9-percent fall the previous month. Lower fuel prices drove the decline in December, and nonfuel prices recorded no change. U.S. export prices fell 0.6 percent in December following a 0.8-percent drop in November.
U.S. export prices fell 0.6 percent in December following a 0.8-percent decrease in November. Nonagricultural prices declined in December, more than offsetting higher prices for agricultural goods.
Despite the December downturn, U.S. export prices increased 1.1 percent in 2018. The price index for U.S. exports has not recorded a calendar-year decrease since falling 6.6 percent in 2015.