U.S. import prices advanced 0.2 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after increasing 0.8 percent in September. U.S. export prices recorded no change in October, after increasing 0.7 percent in September.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics5 min read
Historical releaseThe figures below describe the original reporting period. They are not today’s rates or a current economic forecast.Today’s market brief →
Historical release narrative reproduced from the official public-domain source. Statistical tables, standard technical appendices, administrative material and attendance rosters are omitted; formatting is adapted for reading. Figures retain the release's historical context and may have been revised. Consult the linked source for the complete document.
U.S. import prices advanced 0.2 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after increasing 0.8 percent in September. U.S. export prices recorded no change in October, after increasing 0.7 percent in September.
Imports
All Imports: Import prices increased 0.2 percent in October, after rising 0.8 percent in September. The price index for all imports rose 1.6 percent over the past 3 months. Higher prices for fuel and nonfuel imports contributed to the overall rise in import prices for October. U.S. import prices increased 2.5 percent for the year ended in October.
Fuel Imports: The price index for fuel imports advanced 1.4 percent in October following a 5.5-percent rise in September. Fuel import prices increased 11.1 percent over the past 3 months. The October increase was driven by higher petroleum prices which advanced 1.7 percent, more than offsetting a 6.7-percent drop in natural gas prices. Fuel import prices rose 13.2 percent over the past 12 months; petroleum prices were the primary contributor, advancing 14.9 percent. Import prices for natural gas fell 18.2 percent over the past year.
All Imports Excluding Fuel: Prices for nonfuel imports rose 0.2 percent in October following a 0.3-percent advance in September. The increase in October was driven by nonfuel industrial supplies and materials prices which advanced 0.9 percent; higher prices for capital goods also contributed to the overall increase. Import prices for automotive vehicles; consumer goods; and foods, feeds, and beverages all declined in October limiting the monthly advance. The price index for nonfuel imports rose 1.4 percent over the past 12 months, the largest over-the-year increase since a 2.0-percent advance for the year ended March 2012.
Exports
All Exports: U.S. export prices recorded no change in October following 0.7-percent increases in September and August. The index has not recorded a decline since a 0.1-percent drop in June. Higher prices for agricultural exports were offset by lower prices for nonagricultural exports. The price index for exports advanced 2.7 percent over the past year.
Agricultural Exports: The price index for agricultural exports increased 1.9 percent in October, the largest monthly rise since a 2.5-percent advance in June 2016. Higher vegetable prices drove the October increase, more than offsetting lower prices for soybeans and meats. Agricultural export prices increased 3.5 percent over the past year. Increasing vegetable and meat prices were the primary contributors to the 12-month advance.
All Exports Excluding Agriculture: Nonagricultural export prices declined 0.3 percent in October following a 0.9-percent rise in September. In October, the index recorded the first monthly decline since a 0.4-percent decrease in May. Lower prices for nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials drove the decrease, and automotive prices also contributed to the overall decline. In contrast, capital goods and consumer goods prices increased in October. Despite the monthly decline in October, the price index for nonagricultural exports increased 2.5 percent over the past year. Higher nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials prices were the primary contributor to higher prices over the 12-month period.
SELECTED OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS
Import Prices
Imports by Locality of Origin: Import prices from China recorded no change in October following a 0.3- percent decline in September. Over the past year prices from China fell 0.8 percent. The price index for imports from Japan fell 0.3 percent in October, after a 0.1-percent rise in September. Import prices from Japan decreased 0.8 percent over the past year, the largest 12-month decline since a 1.1-percent drop for the year ended in May 2016. Import prices from Canada rose 1.4 percent for the second consecutive month in October; those were the largest advances since a 2.0-percent rise in January. Import prices from the European Union rose 0.1 percent in October and prices for imports from Mexico fell 0.2 percent.
Nonfuel Industrial Supplies and Materials: Import prices for nonfuel industrial supplies and materials rose 0.9 percent in October following a 1.5-percent advance in September. The index increased 7.9 percent over the past 12 months, the largest over-the-year rise since an 8.1-percent advance in November 2011. Higher import prices for chemicals and selected building materials drove the October advance.
Finished Goods: Import prices for the major finished goods categories were mixed in October. The price index for capital goods rose 0.2 percent in October and recorded a 0.6-percent increase over the past year. Prices for automotive vehicles decreased 0.2 percent in October and consumer goods prices fell 0.1 percent.
Foods, Feeds, and Beverages: The import price index for foods, feeds, and beverages fell 0.2 percent in October. A 4.3-percent drop in prices for feedstuff and food grains and a 2.3-percent drop in vegetable prices were the main contributors to the decline.
Transportation Services: The index for import air passenger fares rose 8.8 percent in October following an 8.5-percent increase in September. The October advance was the largest monthly increase since the index rose 8.9 percent in June 2015. European air passenger fares rose 9.9 percent driving the overall advance. Despite the recent increases, import air passenger fares decreased 1.4 percent over the past year. The price index for import air freight fell 4.0 percent in October and recorded a 5.4-percent increase over the past 12 months.
Export Prices
Nonagricultural Industrial Supplies and Materials: Nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials export prices fell 1.1 percent in October, after increasing 2.8 percent in September. The October drop was the first decline since a 1.4-percent decrease in May. Lower prices for fuel and gold led the October decline.
Finished Goods: Export prices for capital goods rose 0.3 percent in October following a 0.1-percent advance the previous month. The October increase was driven by a 1.3-percent advance in the price index for computers, peripherals, and semiconductors. Export prices for automotive vehicles fell 0.2 percent in October and consumer goods prices ticked up 0.1 percent.
Transportation Services: Export air passenger fares increased 3.9 percent in October, driven by a 3.1- percent increase in European fares. The price index for export air passenger fares rose 2.3 percent over the past year. Export air freight prices advanced 3.0 percent in October and 5.4 percent over the past 12 months.
Import and Export Price Index data for November 2017 are scheduled for release on Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. (EST).
Archived Nov 11, 2026. Source reuse policy. Formatting has been adapted for reading; the source’s conclusions remain attributed to its publisher.
MortgageRates.news analysis · Historical context
The mortgage market around this release
This original analysis is separate from the source article. It compares observed benchmarks around ; historical averages and yields are not current mortgage offers.
Distinguish trade prices from trade volumes
Import and export price indexes track prices of goods and selected services traded between the United States and other countries. They do not measure how much is traded or the trade balance. Read imports separately from exports and compare fuel with nonfuel import prices where available; also distinguish a monthly movement from a twelve-month change. These measures describe one part of the pricing environment, rather than the household consumer basket. The rate observations below do not establish how much of a later change came from this release. BLS Import and Export Price Indexes overview.
Nearest published observation on or before each target date
Calendar references, not an intraday reaction. A same-day market observation may have been published after a morning release. These figures do not show what was known at its exact publication time. One basis point (bp) is 0.01 percentage point; changes use the actual dated observations shown.
Dots show published observations only. Missing dates remain blank, with no interpolation. The series have different publication schedules and measure different markets.
What that benchmark difference would mean for a $300,000 loan
At the publication reference$1,423.61/month
3.95% · Nov 16, 2017
At the later reference$1,420.17/month
3.93% · Dec 14, 2017
The illustrative principal-and-interest payment is $3.45 lower per month. This holds the loan amount and term constant to show the arithmetic effect of the benchmark difference.
Assumptions: two separate hypothetical $300,000 loans, each fully amortizing over 30 years with 360 monthly payments and its stated fixed interest rate. Excludes points, lender fees, taxes, insurance, association charges and other costs. PMMS is a national average, not an APR or a personalized rate offer. These are not two payments on one existing loan.
Sources, historical coverage and calculation limits
Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey®: available observations from Apr 2, 1971 through Nov 5, 2026. Cached history snapshot. History retrieved or verified Nov 11, 2026.
U.S. Department of the Treasury: available observations from Jan 4, 2016 through Nov 10, 2026. Cached history snapshot. History retrieved or verified Nov 11, 2026.
The 30-day comparisons use calendar days. Each cell selects the last published observation on or before its target; no rates are synthesized for missing dates. Gaps greater than seven days for daily Treasury data or fourteen days for weekly mortgage data are marked unavailable. Forward comparisons require the date to have arrived and source coverage to extend through it.
Historical files may contain revisions and do not reconstruct precisely what every market participant knew at the time. Freddie Mac changed its PMMS collection methodology in November 2022. Cross-period comparisons should account for that change. These windows include other news and cannot establish causation or forecast the next rate move.