Driven by a steep drop in the fuel index, U.S. import prices fell sharply in May, while prices of U.S. exported goods fell for the first time in 2012, according to figures released Tuesday by the Labor Department.
The overall price index for U.S. imports fell by 1 percent in May, marking the largest single month drop since June 2010.
Most economists, however, had expected a somewhat higher, 1.1 percent decline in the costs of imported goods.
Export prices, which had increased 2 percent over the first four months of the year, fell 0.4 percent in May, the first monthly decline of 2012.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.