WASHINGTON – U.S. import prices rose 0.1% in July, as expected, and were down 0.1% excluding fuel prices and flat excluding just petroleum prices.
Overall import prices rose 1.5% from a year ago, while prices excluding fuels were up 0.7% year/year and up 0.9% year/year excluding only petroleum, suggesting little forward momentum.
When food and fuels were both removed, import prices were unchanged from June and up only 0.6% from a year earlier. Fuel prices rose 0.5% in the month, as petroleum prices rose 0.7%, offsetting a 5.0% decline in the relatively small natural gas category.
Import prices rose for foods and feeds and capital goods, but fell for industrial supplies outside of fuels, and for vehicles and engines. Consumer goods prices were flat.
Export price posted a 0.4% gain overall and were still up 0.3% excluding a 2.1% surge in agricultural commodities prices.
