US Import and Export Prices September 2026: BLS Release Guide
The BLS will publish September 2026 US import and export price indexes on 16 October at 6:00 PM IST. This guide explains the release timing, what MXP measures, the August baseline, fuel and nonfuel components, trade classifications, revisions and how to read the data without adding an unknown September result.
US Import and Export Prices September 2026: what is confirmed
The US Import and Export Prices September 2026 release is scheduled for Friday, 16 October 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. That is 6:00 p.m. IST for readers in India. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will publish the September reference-month results, while the latest available observation on 13 October remains the August report.
August import prices rose 0.7% and export prices 0.6%. These are completed historical readings, not a September estimate. The September result is unknown; this guide adds no forecast or market-reaction claim.
The important distinction is what the indexes measure. They track price changes for nonmilitary goods and selected services traded between the United States and the rest of the world. They are not a shipment-volume report, a customs-value report or a direct measure of the price paid by every household.
| Item | Confirmed detail | India time |
|---|---|---|
| Reference month | September 2026 | Data period, not publication month |
| BLS release date | Friday, 16 October 2026 | Friday, 16 October |
| Release time | 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time | 6:00 p.m. IST |
| Latest completed report | August 2026 | Import +0.7%; export +0.6% month over month |
| Publication status on 13 October | September outcome not yet released | No result should be filled in early |
When will the BLS release appear in India?
BLS schedules the release at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on 16 October. On the 13 October reference date, the United States is observing Eastern Daylight Time, UTC−4, while India Standard Time is UTC+5:30. The difference is 9 hours 30 minutes, so 8:30 a.m. Eastern converts to 6:00 p.m. IST on the same Friday.
The BLS schedule is the authority for the publication slot. Once released, use the news release and linked tables rather than an early headline that may omit revisions or a component breakdown.
| Clock | Time on 16 October 2026 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| US Eastern | 8:30 a.m. | Official BLS publication time |
| India Standard Time | 6:00 p.m. | Converted release time for Indian readers |
| Reference period | September 2026 | Prices collected for the September index |
| Following scheduled reference month | October 2026 | BLS lists 17 November publication |
What do US import and export price indexes measure?
The import index measures changes over time in prices of goods or services purchased from abroad by US residents. The export index measures changes in prices of goods or services sold by US residents to foreign buyers. BLS calls the combined program the Import/Export Price Indexes, or MXP, and publishes it monthly.
Most of the coverage is merchandise. BLS says the covered merchandise groups account for nearly 100% of US commodity imports and exports by value, with exclusions such as military goods, works of art and selected special items. The international services portion is narrower: the published service indexes cover air passenger fares and air freight.
| Question | MXP answer | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| What is priced? | Goods and selected international services | Not every service traded across borders |
| Whose transaction? | Imports bought by US residents; exports sold to foreign buyers | Not a retail basket for US households |
| How is it reported? | Index levels and percentage changes | Not one universal dollar price |
| How often? | Monthly | Not a real-time daily commodity quote |
The August 2026 baseline: the numbers September will replace
August is the correct comparison point before the September release. BLS reported all-import prices up 0.7% from July and all-export prices up 0.6%. The August import increase followed declines of 0.3% in both June and July. Export prices followed a 1.4% July decline, so August represented a change in monthly direction rather than a continuous rise.
The annual comparison was also positive: import prices rose 7.0% from August 2025 to August 2026, while export prices rose 8.6%. Import fuel prices fell 0.1% in August even as nonfuel import prices rose 0.8%. On the export side, agricultural prices increased 0.5% and nonagricultural prices increased 0.7%. These splits matter because the headline index can move differently from fuel, food and industrial categories.
| Series | August 2026 monthly change | August 2025–August 2026 | Comparison note |
|---|---|---|---|
| All imports | +0.7% | +7.0% | After −0.3% in July |
| Fuel imports | −0.1% | +26.8% | Natural gas and petroleum moved differently |
| Nonfuel imports | +0.8% | +5.5% | More than offset lower fuel prices |
| All exports | +0.6% | +8.6% | After −1.4% in July |
| Agricultural exports | +0.5% | +5.8% | Corn and animal-feed prices were among the drivers |
| Nonagricultural exports | +0.7% | +8.9% | Industrial supplies and finished categories contributed |
Which components should readers check after release?
First check whether the September move came from fuel or nonfuel imports. In August, fuel import prices edged down 0.1%, while nonfuel imports rose 0.8%. That difference changes the explanation even when the all-import index is positive. A reader who stops at the headline would miss the source of the movement.
Next check industrial supplies. BLS reported a 2.0% August rise for import industrial supplies and materials excluding fuels. Finished metals related to durable goods rose 5.7% in August, while unfinished metals related to durable goods were unchanged. Those are index movements, not spot prices for a specific metal grade or delivery location.
| Component lens | August 2026 reading | Why it belongs on the checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Import fuel | −0.1% monthly; +26.8% annual | Separates energy effects from other imports |
| Import industrial supplies excluding fuels | +2.0% monthly | Useful for materials and input-cost context |
| Import finished metals related to durable goods | +5.7% monthly | Detailed category, not a benchmark metal quote |
| Agricultural exports | +0.5% monthly; +5.8% annual | Captures farm and food-related export price movement |
| Nonagricultural exports | +0.7% monthly; +8.9% annual | Includes industrial supplies and finished goods |
Import prices versus export prices: why the two series can diverge
Import and export prices describe opposite sides of US cross-border trade, so they do not have to move together. A change in the cost of imported fuel can lift the import index while a separate move in agricultural or industrial export prices pushes the export index in another direction. The August report shows the reverse can also happen: both headlines rose, but the category contributions were different.
Country detail adds another layer. BLS publishes import indexes by locality of origin and export indexes by locality of destination. It also publishes terms-of-trade indexes for selected partners. Terms of trade measure the change in export purchasing power relative to import prices; they are not the same as the all-country import or export headline.
| Series family | Geographic question | Correct interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Imports by locality | Where did goods enter from? | Price movement by origin grouping |
| Exports by locality | Where were US goods sold? | Price movement by destination grouping |
| Terms of trade | How did export prices compare with import prices? | Relative purchasing-power index |
| End-use or NAICS detail | What kind of product or industry output? | Classification detail, not a single market quote |
Units, weights and collection: how BLS builds the index
BLS uses a modified Laspeyres formula. In plain language, the index aggregates price changes while holding the quality and classification framework steady enough to compare periods, with adjustments when products or specifications change. The data are not seasonally adjusted, so a month-to-month move can include normal seasonal patterns.
The program uses trade values as weights and reweights published goods indexes annually with a two-year lag in the weights. BLS says the relative-importance values in the August 2026 tables are based on 2024 trade values. This is why a component’s percentage change and its influence on the headline should not be treated as interchangeable.
| Method detail | BLS position | Reader implication |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal adjustment | Indexes are not seasonally adjusted | Compare the calendar context before calling a move unusual |
| Weighting | Goods indexes reweighted annually with a two-year lag | Component importance is not the same as its monthly percentage change |
| Base | Most indexes use 2000=100 where possible | Index level is not a dollar price |
| Revision window | Monthly data may be revised in each of the next 3 months | The first release is not always the final vintage |
How are import and export prices different from CPI and PPI?
CPI measures price changes faced by consumers in a household consumption basket. PPI measures prices received by domestic producers for their output. MXP measures prices on the international trade side: imports bought by US residents and exports sold to overseas buyers. The programs can respond to some of the same energy or materials forces, but they have different populations, transaction points and classification systems.
An imported good can enter the US economy without its full price change appearing one-for-one in CPI. It may be an input, capital good or product sold through several domestic stages. An export price can change without changing a US household’s price, so MXP is not a substitute for CPI or PPI.
| Measure | Main pricing perspective | Common mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| CPI | Prices paid by consumers | Treating it as the same as import prices |
| PPI | Prices received by domestic producers | Treating it as the same as export prices |
| MXP imports | Prices paid for goods/services bought abroad by US residents | Calling it a US retail-price index |
| MXP exports | Prices for goods/services sold by US residents to foreign buyers | Calling it a US producer-output index |
A five-minute reading order for the 16 October release
First, record the headline monthly and 12-month changes for all imports and all exports. Second, check whether the direction came from fuel, nonfuel, agriculture or nonagriculture. Third, open the detailed end-use tables and look for industrial supplies, metals, capital goods and automotive categories that matter to the question you are investigating.
Fourth, check the comparison window. A monthly percentage change is not a year-over-year change, and a revised prior month can change the apparent sequence. Fifth, note the release date and vintage in your own record. If you compare September with August later, keep the original BLS table or a dated download so a later revision does not silently mix vintages.
| Step | Check | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All-import and all-export monthly and annual changes | Establish the headline |
| 2 | Fuel, nonfuel, agricultural and nonagricultural splits | Find the main source of movement |
| 3 | End-use, NAICS or Harmonized System detail | Match the table to the product question |
| 4 | Revisions and comparison windows | Avoid mixing monthly and annual changes |
| 5 | Release date and data vintage | Keep later comparisons reproducible |
What is not known before September publication?
As of 13 October, the September index values, September category contributions and any September revisions are not available in the cited BLS release. A calendar date can be verified before publication; the result cannot. This is the central editorial boundary for a forward-looking release guide.
It is also too early to state that the report will move metals, oil, currencies, rates or any other market. The index may be used in economic analysis, but a factual release guide should not convert a future observation into a market prediction. Readers can compare the published result with August after the release without assuming a trading response.
Reader guide
Article questions, answered
Short answers to common reader questions based on the reporting above.
When is the US Import and Export Prices September 2026 report released?
The BLS report for the September 2026 reference month is scheduled for Friday, 16 October 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. That converts to 6:00 p.m. IST in India on the same day.
What were the latest US import and export price results before September?
The latest completed BLS report, for August 2026, showed import prices up 0.7% and export prices up 0.6% from July. Import and export prices rose 7.0% and 8.6%, respectively, over the 12 months to August.
What do the BLS import and export price indexes measure?
They measure changes over time in prices of goods and selected services bought from abroad by US residents or sold to foreign buyers by US residents. The program covers nearly all merchandise trade by value, plus air passenger fares and air freight.
Are the September 2026 results known before 16 October?
No. As of the 13 October 2026 reference date, BLS had scheduled the publication but had not released the September index values. August figures are historical context and should not be presented as a September result or forecast.
How are MXP indexes different from CPI and PPI?
CPI measures consumer-basket prices, PPI measures prices received by domestic producers, and MXP measures international trade prices for imports and exports. They can share drivers but they do not cover the same transactions or populations.
Can import and export price data be revised?
Yes. BLS says monthly data may be revised in each of the three months after original publication to reflect late reports and corrections. Readers should record the release date and data vintage when comparing reports.
Does a rise in import or export prices give a commodity trading signal?
No automatic trading conclusion follows from the release. MXP is an economic price index with broad classifications, and the September result is unknown before publication. Use it as factual trade-price information, not as investment advice or a market forecast.
Sources and further reading
These references support the factual context used in this article. Links open the original publisher.