U.S. import prices rose for the first time in three months in November despite a drop in petroleum costs.

Prices for imported goods rose 0.2%, after falling 2.3% in October and 2.2% in September, the U.S. Labor Department reported today.

Economists had expected November import prices would slip by 0.1%.

In annual terms, import prices increased 1.2% from November 2005, compared with the 6.4% a year earlier.

Petroleum import prices tumbled by 1.6% last month compared to October, and rose 1.5% on the year. Excluding petroleum, import prices were up 0.7% in November versus October and 1.3% on the year.

Today’s report showed that prices for imported capital goods were unchanged last month, as were consumer goods import prices.

Prices for nonpetroleum industrial supplies and materials imports rose 2.9%. Natural-gas prices surged 30.3%, the largest increase since 39.5% in November 2004. Foods, feeds, and beverages prices increased 0.4%.

Import prices were unchanged on the month for goods from the European Union. Prices increased 1.7% for goods from Canada and were down 0.2% for products from Mexico. Prices from China were unchanged. Import prices from Japan decreased 0.1%.

Overall U.S. export prices rose 0.4% last month. Export prices grew 3.9% in the 12 months since November 2005. Prices of agricultural exports increased 4.4%, and prices of non-agricultural exports rose 0.1%.

A separate report from the Labor Department showed that the number of workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week to its lowest level in two months.

New claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 304,000 in the week ended Dec. 9 from an unrevised 324,000, the Labor Dept. said. The level was the lowest since new claims dropped to 300,000 the week ending Oct. 14. The four-week moving average for jobless claims fell by 1,500 to 327,250.