For February 2026, the U.S. Import Price Index rose 1.3%, and the Export Price Index rose 1.5%. This was the largest monthly increase for import prices since March 2022 and for export prices since May 2022.
February 2026 Key Data Points
- Import Prices (MoM): +1.3%.
- Fuel Imports: Increased 3.8%, driven by a 24.7% spike in natural gas.
- Nonfuel Imports: Increased 1.1%, the largest rise since March 2022.
- Export Prices (MoM): +1.5%.
- Nonagricultural Exports: Increased 1.7%.
- Agricultural Exports: Increased 0.7%, led by higher prices for meat and vegetables.
- Annual Change (YoY):
- All Imports: +1.3%.
- All Exports: +3.5%.
Context & Usage
- Source: Data is published monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
- Purpose: These indexes measure the average change in prices for a "market basket" of nonmilitary goods and services traded between the U.S. and foreign partners.
- Primary Uses:
- Deflating government trade statistics to determine real values (e.g., GDP components).
- Gauging pass-through inflation from imported inputs to domestic consumers.
- Informing Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
Upcoming Release
The next report covering March 2026 is scheduled for release on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET.
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For the week ending March 21, 2026, U.S. initial jobless claims rose slightly but remained at historically healthy levels, reflecting a stable labor market with limited layoffs.
Weekly Labor Market Data (March 2026)
- Initial Jobless Claims: 210,000 (Week ending March 21).
- Change: Increased by 5,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 205,000.
- Consensus: Aligned with the 210,000 forecast by analysts.
- Continuing Claims: 1,819,000 (Week ending March 14).
- Change: Decreased by 32,000 from the previous week's revised level of 1.851 million.
- Milestone: Touched the lowest level since May 2024.
- 4-Week Moving Average: 210,500.
- Trend: Decreased by 250 from the previous week's average.
- Insured Unemployment Rate: Unchanged at 1.2%.
Economic Indicators Summary
Market Context
- Stability: Low initial claims suggest employers are retaining workers despite broader economic headwinds, such as rising oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty.
- Fed Impact: The stable labor data likely gives the Federal Reserve room to maintain current interest rates while monitoring inflation risks.
- Low-Hire/Low-Fire: Economists describe the current environment as a "low-hire, low-fire" market, where layoffs are rare, but new job creation is lackluster.
Would you like to compare these figures to the February jobs report or see the specific states with the largest changes in claims?
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