WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing a substantial increase in import prices in the U.S. in the month of April.
The report said import prices shot up by 1.9 percent in April after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.9 percent in March.
Economists had expected import prices to jump by 1.0 percent compared to the 0.8 percent increase originally reported for the previous month.
Prices for fuel imports led the way higher, skyrocketing by 16.3 percent in April after soaring by 10.0 percent in March.
The Labor Department said prices for non-fuel imports climbed by 0.8 percent in April after inching up by 0.2 percent in March.
Higher prices for capital goods, nonfuel industrial supplies and materials. consumer goods excluding automotives and foods, feeds, and beverages more than offset lower prices for automotive vehicles, parts and engines.
The report also said the annual rate of import price growth soared to 4.2 percent in April from 2.1 percent in March, marking the largest year-over-year advance since October 2022.
'Risks are tilted toward higher import prices in 2026 thanks to higher global oil prices and strong demand for AI-related capital goods imports,' said Grace Zwemmer, U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics.
Meanwhile, the Labor Department said export prices spiked by 3.3 percent in April after surging by a downwardly revised 1.5 percent in March.
Export prices were expected to shoot up by 1.1 percent compared to the 1.6 percent leap originally reported for the previous month.
Prices for non-agricultural exports surged by 3.4 percent in April after jumping by 1.6 percent in March, while prices for agricultural exports shot up by 1.6 percent in April after rising by 0.6 percent in March.
The report also said the annual rate of export price growth soared to 8.8 percent in April from 5.6 percent in March, marking the largest over-the-year advance since September 2022
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