Updated
Updated · The FINANCIAL · Jul 18
U.S. Import Prices Rise 0.3% in June as Export Prices Post First 0.6% Drop in a Year
Updated
Updated · The FINANCIAL · Jul 18

U.S. Import Prices Rise 0.3% in June as Export Prices Post First 0.6% Drop in a Year

3 articles · Updated · The FINANCIAL · Jul 18

Summary

  • Import prices rose 0.3% in June after 1.7% in May, while export prices fell 0.6%, their first monthly decline in more than a year, BLS data showed.
  • Fuel import prices slipped 0.4%, tempering the gain, but nonfuel import prices still climbed 0.4% as industrial supplies, capital goods and consumer goods excluding autos became more expensive.
  • Export prices weakened because nonagricultural goods fell 0.7%; industrial supplies and materials dropped 2.1%, led by lower petroleum and nonferrous metals prices, even as agricultural export prices edged up 0.2%.
  • Annual pressures remained strong: import prices were up 7.1% from a year earlier and export prices 10.2%, with imported fuels and lubricants still 44.1% higher.
  • China stood out among trade partners, with U.S. import prices from China up 0.9% in June—the biggest monthly increase since January 2008—underscoring broader cost pressure beyond energy.

Insights

Is the global scramble to escape U.S. tariffs creating more resilient or just more expensive supply chains?
Can the U.S. win a trade war without consumers losing the battle against rising prices at home?
Will the AI revolution be stalled by the rising cost of its own essential components?