INPUT COSTS & TRADE · SEPTEMBER 16, 2026
Import Prices Fall in July as Nonfuel Costs Continue to Rise
The latest available BLS report showed July import prices down 0.4% as fuel prices fell, while nonfuel import prices rose 0.4%; export prices decreased 1.3% for the month.
What the latest official report shows
Source publication date: August 18, 2026. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. import prices decreased 0.4% in July, following a 0.3% decline in June. Import prices were still 5.9% above July 2025. U.S. export prices fell 1.3% for the month and were 8.2% higher over the year. The official source page available when this analysis was prepared had not yet posted the scheduled August report.
- 01Fuel imports fell 7.2%
- 02Nonfuel imports rose 0.4%
- 03Export prices fell 1.3%
Fuel and nonfuel inputs moved differently
Import-fuel prices fell 7.2% in July, while nonfuel import prices rose 0.4%. Import capital-goods prices increased 0.9%, automotive vehicles, parts, and engines increased 0.2%, and nonfuel industrial supplies and materials declined 0.5%. Those differences matter because a lower all-import index can coexist with higher costs for the equipment or inputs a particular business buys.
The indexes are context, not a company invoice
Import and export price indexes measure average price movement for defined baskets and do not include every element of landed cost. A borrower’s outcome also depends on supplier terms, product mix, currency arrangements, tariffs, freight, insurance, duties, inventory timing, hedges, and the lag between a cost change and customer repricing. Export-price movement likewise does not establish demand, volume, or margin for one exporter.
Practical borrower takeaway
Rebuild the purchasing forecast from current supplier quotes and contracts. Separate commodity or fuel movement from nonfuel inputs, freight, duties, and currency exposure; show when price changes reach inventory, cost of goods sold, and customer pricing. Stress-test margin and working-capital needs under delayed pass-through, longer lead times, and larger inventory commitments. Size financing from the documented cash-conversion cycle rather than the aggregate index.
Importers, exporters, distributors, and manufacturers should update landed-cost and margin assumptions by actual category and contract instead of applying the headline index to every input.
Discuss a financing need →This independent summary is based on the cited source and is provided for general educational purposes only. Terms and program requirements may change.