US Import Prices Rise: Recheck Your Landed Cost

US import prices increased 1.1% in September and 8.1% over the preceding year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics release dated October 16. The report describes price changes across defined import categories. It does not establish the final cost of a particular shipment or the margin of an importer. That distinction is especially important for businesses ordering far ahead of delivery. A national price index can highlight an area to investigate, while the commercial decision still depends on the supplier quote, the shipment’s terms and the costs that occur before goods are available for sale.

Start with the purchase price and add each relevant cost on a separate line: transport, handling, insurance, duties, brokerage, storage and delivery to your selling location. Record who pays each item and when the payment occurs. Confirm the currency and exchange-rate assumption rather than mixing a supplier’s foreign-currency quote with a domestic budget. Where a charge is uncertain, request a written explanation from the responsible provider and keep a contingency visible. This approach makes a quotation comparable with the previous shipment. It also prevents a small improvement in purchase price from disguising a larger increase elsewhere.

Before increasing order size, map the period between the supplier deposit and customer collection. Add the possibility of delayed arrival, slower sell-through or a quality dispute. Ask whether staged deliveries, a smaller initial order or a different reorder point would reduce exposure without interrupting service. These are operating alternatives to examine, not universal recommendations to change suppliers. Preserve the original quote, shipping assumptions and approval decision so later invoices can be reconciled. The next release may change the national picture, but your strongest evidence will be actual landed costs, usable inventory and collected sales from the products you chose to import.