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US: Import prices declined 0.5% in January vs -0.1% expected

"U.S. import prices fell 0.5 percent in January following a 1.0-percent drop in December and a 1.7-percent decrease in November," the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday.

Key takeaways from the press release

  • Prices for U.S. imports declined 0.5 percent in January and 3.1 percent over the last 3 months.
  • The 3-month drop was the largest decrease since the index fell 3.1 percent from July 2015 to October 2015.
  • Both fuel and nonfuel prices contributed to the January decline.
  • Prices for U.S. exports decreased 0.6 percent for the second consecutive month in January.
  • Export prices have only recorded one monthly advance since June.
  • The price index for overall exports decreased 0.2 percent for the year ended in January, the first 12-month decline since the index fell 0.2 percent in November 2016.

Author

Eren Sengezer

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

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