By Greg Robb
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Import prices were unchanged in December after four months of gains, the Labor Department reported Thursday. A decline in fuel prices offset gains in other sectors, the government said. Economists had expected import prices to be flat as imported oil prices had fallen in the month. Fuel import prices fell 1.4% in December after a 7.1% gain in November. Non-fuel import prices rose 0.4% for the fifth straight month. Export prices rose 0.6% in December. Excluding the farm sector, export prices were up 0.5%. For the year, export prices were up 3.4% after falling 2.9% in 2008.
