US import prices unchanged year-on-year in December
#Import prices #Bureau of Labor Statistics #Fuel costs #Economic indicators #Federal Reserve #Trade balance
📌 Key Takeaways
- U.S. import prices recorded a 0% change year-over-year in December 2024.
- A significant drop in fuel import costs was the primary factor offsetting gains in other sectors.
- Non-fuel prices, including consumer goods, saw slight increases during the same period.
- The flat data suggests a reduction in imported inflationary pressures, aiding Federal Reserve policy.
📖 Full Retelling
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on January 17, 2025, that U.S. import prices remained unchanged on a year-over-year basis in December 2024, as a significant decline in fuel costs offset price increases for non-fuel commodities. This flat reading in Washington reflects a cooling trend in imported inflation, providing the Federal Reserve with more flexibility as it navigates interest rate policies in the new year. The data indicates that despite global supply chain fluctuations, the cost of goods brought into the United States has stabilized compared to the volatility seen in previous periods.
Technically, the index for all import items showed no percentage change over the last 12 months, ending a period of localized fluctuations. Fuel imports saw a sharp decrease in price, driven largely by a drop in global petroleum and natural gas demand during the late autumn months. Conversely, the non-fuel sector saw modest gains, particularly in consumer goods and capital equipment, which prevented the overall index from falling into negative territory. This balancing act between energy and manufactured goods suggests a mixed but stable pricing environment for American businesses and consumers alike.
From a broader economic perspective, the stagnation in import prices serves as a critical indicator for domestic inflation forecasting. Economists note that when import prices remain flat or decline, it lessens the pressure on U.S. manufacturers to raise retail prices, thereby supporting a softer landing for the economy. While export prices also faced downward pressure due to lower agricultural costs, the stability of the import sector remains the primary focus for analysts monitoring the strength of the U.S. dollar and the overall health of international trade relations as 2025 begins.
🏷️ Themes
Economy, Inflation, Trade
📚 Related People & Topics
Bureau of Labor Statistics
US government agency
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system. The BLS collects, pro...
Federal Reserve
Central banking system of the US
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a series of financial panics (particularly the panic of 1907) led to th...
Economic indicator
Statistic about an economic activity
An economic indicator is a statistic about an economic activity. Economic indicators allow analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance. One application of economic indicators is the study of business cycles.
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📄 Original Source Content
try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry As Claude disrupts stock market, Anthropic researcher warns ’world is in peril’ Gold, silver prices rise amid U.S.-Iran tensions, blowout January payrolls data Dow halts three-day win streak as blowout jobs data curbs rate cut bets Citi pushes back Fed rate cuts to May after blowout January jobs report (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) US import prices unchanged year-on-year in December Economic Indicators Published 02/10/2026, 09:19 AM Updated 02/10/2026, 09:31 AM US import prices unchanged year-on-year in December 0 WASHINGTON, Feb 10 - U.S. import prices were unchanged on a year-on-year basis in December after falling 0.1% in November, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Tuesday. Last year’s shutdown of the federal government prevented the collection of survey data for October, resulting in the BLS not publishing the monthly changes in import prices for October and November. Import prices gained 0.1% month-on-month in December. The BLS also skipped the publishing of a detailed press release because of the compressed release schedule following the 43-day shutdown. It, however, noted that the recent three-day shutdown had not affected data collection for price indexes. US import prices unchanged year-on-year in December 0 Latest comments Post Comment Guidelines Trade With A Regulated Broker Indices Commodities Bonds Stocks US 30 50,164.40 +43.0 +0.09% US 500 6,943.30 +1.9 +0.03% Dow Jones 50,121.40 -66.74 -0.13% S&P 500 6,941.45 -0.36 -0.01% Nasdaq 23,066.47 -36.01 -0.16% S&P 500 VIX 17.65 -0.14 -0.79% Dollar Index 96.77 -0.040 -0.04% Crude Oil WTI Futures 64.96 +0.33 +0.51% Brent Oil Futures 69.71 +0.05 +0.07% Natural Gas Futures 3.226 -0.007 -0.22% Gold Futures 5,077.66 -20.84 -0.41% Silver Futures 82.048 -1.873 -2.23% Copper Futures 5.963 -0.0268 -0.45% US Soybeans Futures 1,139.00 +15.50 +1.38% U.S. 10Y 4.177 +0.005 +0.12% U.S. 30Y 4.818 +0.004 +0.08% U.S. 5Y 3.745 +0.004 +0.11% U....