SEOUL, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Price for imported goods to South Korea fell for the third straight month due to cheaper crude oil, central bank data showed Friday.
The import price index declined 1.9 percent in April from a month earlier, after going down 1.0 percent in February and 0.4 percent in March, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
The successive slide was attributed to cheaper crude oil and the local currency's appreciation versus the U.S. dollar.
Price for Dubai crude, South Korea's benchmark, averaged 67.74 U.S. dollars per barrel in April, down from 72.49 dollars in the previous month.
The average won/dollar exchange rate slipped to 1,444.31 won per dollar in April from 1,456.95 won in March.
Price for imported raw materials dipped 4.3 percent in April on a monthly basis, continuing to shrink since February.
Import price for intermediary goods decreased 1.3 percent on lower price for oil products, chemicals, metal products and electrical equipment.
Price for imported capital goods gained 0.3 percent, but consumer goods price retreated 0.4 percent.
The export price index slumped 1.2 percent in April from a month earlier, turning downward from an expansion of 0.4 percent in the previous month. ■
