US import prices increased 1.1 percent monthly and 8.1 percent annually in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics release of 16 October. Export prices rose 2.2 percent monthly and 11.6 percent annually. For Hungarian traders, these US-side price developments provide a comparison, not a new value for their own invoices.
The dollar-based price indexes track price changes, not quantities sold or total foreign-trade revenue. Company turnover can follow a different path from a rising price measure if order volumes change. A Hungarian partner’s actual margin also depends on its product mix and contractual settlement arrangements.
The US importer’s perspective requires particular care for a Hungarian exporter: US imports connect to other countries’ exports. The aggregate measure does not examine Hungarian products exclusively. A specific business therefore needs prices and delivery terms for its own goods to assess the commercial impact.
Our report on producer prices measures a different stage of sales, while the new industrial-production figures describe volumes. We use the two kinds of information separately. The BLS schedules its next import- and export-price release for 17 November; subsequent revisions to the current figures also need consideration.
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Budapest Global Review: US import prices rose 1.1 percent in September. Budapest Global Review, 16 October 2026. https://globalreview.hu/en/cikk/usa-import-export-arak-szeptember-2026