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                                     U.S. IMPORT AND EXPORT PRICE INDEXES
                                                 - APRIL 2008 -

   The U.S. Import Price Index increased 1.8 percent in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the 
U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  For the second consecutive month, higher prices for both 
petroleum and nonpetroleum imports contributed to the advance.  The rise followed a 2.9 percent 
increase in March.  Export prices also increased in April, rising 0.3 percent after advancing at least 1.0 
percent in each of the previous three months.

                               Percent changes in import and export price indexes
                                              by End Use category
                                          - not seasonally adjusted -
 

Import Goods
   
   The 1.8 percent rise in April followed increases of 2.9 percent, 0.2 percent, and 1.5 percent in 
March, February, and January, respectively.  Petroleum prices advanced 4.4 percent in April after a 9.2 
percent rise in March.  Prices for petroleum rose 57.2 percent for the year ended in April following a 1.1 
percent drop over the previous 12-month period.  Nonpetroleum prices increased 1.1 percent for the 
second consecutive month, matching the largest one-month increase for the index since nonpetroleum 
prices were first published on a monthly basis in December 1988.  The price indexes for overall imports 
and nonpetroleum imports advanced 15.4 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively, during the past year.          
   
   The largest contributor to the April increase in nonpetroleum prices was a 3.3 percent advance in 
the price index for nonpetroleum industrial supplies and materials.  That rise was mostly driven by a 
jump in unfinished metals prices, although higher prices for natural gas, finished metals, and chemicals 
also factored into the advance.  Over the past 12 months, nonpetroleum industrial supplies and materials 
prices rose 17.0 percent.        

   Prices for capital goods, automotive vehicles, and consumer goods were all up in April as well.  
Capital goods prices increased 0.8 percent, the largest increase for the index since an equivalent rise in 
May 1995.  Prices for capital goods advanced 2.1 percent over the past 12 months.  The price index for 
automotive vehicles rose 0.4 percent in April after advancing 0.2 percent in each of the previous two 
months.  Over the past year, the index went up 3.3 percent, the largest rise since an identical increase in 
August 1995.  Consumer goods prices advanced 0.2 percent in April after rising 0.4 percent in each of 
the previous two months.  Prices for consumer goods rose 2.8 percent for the year ended in April, the 
largest increase since a 3.9 percent advance in November 1992.   
   
   Prices for foods, feeds, and beverages rose 0.4 percent in April, following a 2.8 percent rise in 
March, as rising fruit prices more than offset falling prices for coffee.  
 
Export Goods 

   Export prices advanced a comparatively modest 0.3 percent in April following a 1.5 percent 
jump in March, which was the largest one-month increase since the index was first published in 
September 1983.  Prices of overall exports advanced 7.7 percent over the past year.  In April, a 0.6 
percent advance in nonagricultural prices more than offset a 2.2 percent downturn in agricultural prices.  
Prices for nonagricultural exports rose for the seventh consecutive month and advanced 5.6 percent for 
the year ended in April.  
   
   The increase in nonagricultural prices was led by the continued rise in the price index for 
nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials prices, which rose 1.3 percent in April after rising 3.8 
percent in March.  Higher prices for fuels, metals, and chemicals contributed to the increase.  
   
   Prices for each of the major finished goods indexes also rose in April.  Capital goods prices 
advanced 0.3 percent after falling 0.1 percent in March.  The price indexes for export automotive 
vehicles and consumer goods increased 0.4 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.    
   
   Agricultural prices decreased 2.2 percent in April, the first decrease in 11 months and the largest 
decline since an 8.4 percent drop in August 2004.  Soybean and wheat prices led the downturn in 
agricultural prices, falling 13.7 percent and 17.8 percent, respectively.  Despite the decline, agricultural 
prices rose 32.3 percent over the past year. 

Imports by Locality of Origin 
	
   The price indexes for imports from Canada, the European Union, and Mexico increased in April, 
led by higher fuel prices.  Prices for imports from Canada rose 2.6 percent for the month and 18.1 
percent for the year ended in April.  Import prices from the European Union advanced 1.3 percent in 
April and 8.3 percent over the past year.  The price index for imports from Mexico increased 2.2 percent 
following a 2.9 percent rise in March.  Prices of imports from Mexico advanced 18.3 percent over the 
past 12 months.  
   
   Import prices from China also increased in April, rising 0.2 percent after a 0.6 percent gain the 
previous month.  Prices for imports from China rose 4.1 percent for the April 2007-08 period, the largest 
12-month increase recorded since the index was first published in December 2003. 
    
   The price index for imports from Japan edged up 0.2 percent in April and advanced 1.0 percent 
over the past year.
   
Import and Export Services

   Import air passenger fares rose 9.1 percent in April after advancing 0.2 percent in March.  A 17.3 
percent increase in fares from Europe was the largest contributor to the overall increase, although prices 
also rose for Latin America-Caribbean and Asian fares.  The price index for overall fares increased 12.6 
percent for the year ended in April.  In contrast, export air passenger fares decreased 5.0 percent in April 
following a 2.4 percent increase in March.  The April decline was led by lower Asian fares.  Over the 
past year, the index rose 3.3 percent.
	
   The price index for import air freight advanced 4.5 percent in April, driven by a 9.6 percent 
increase in European air freight prices.  Import air freight prices increased 15.1 percent for the year 
ended in April.  Export air freight prices rose 2.4 percent in April after falling 0.2 percent the previous 
month.  The index advanced 14.7 percent over the past year.  

CONTENTS OF RELEASE

This news release includes the following tables:

Table 1    U.S. Import Price Indexes, by End Use
Table 2    U.S. Export Price Indexes, by End Use
Table 3    U.S. Import Price Indexes, by NAICS
Table 4    U.S. Export Price Indexes, by NAICS
Table 5    U.S. Import Price Indexes, by Harmonized System
Table 6    U.S. Export Price Indexes, by Harmonized System
Table 7    U.S. Import Price Indexes, by Locality of Origin
Table 8    U.S. International Price Indexes for Selected Transportation Services
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Import and Export Price Index data for May are scheduled for release on June 12 at 
8:30 A.M. (EDT)