By Dean Seal
Prices of imported goods to the U.S. rose in April for the first time this year, driven by higher fuel prices
Import prices were up 0.4%, their first gain since December, after declining by a revised 0.8% in March, data from the Labor Department showed Friday.
Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal expected prices to rise 0.3% on month.
The increase was led by a 4.9% higher import fuel prices, which followed a 3.9% drop the month before and a 5.6% decrease in February. Petroleum prices drove the uptick and offset lower prices for natural gas. Excluding fuels, import prices were unchanged in April, according to the Labor Department data.
Prices for imported goods were 4.8% lower than they were in April of last year.
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