WASHINGTON — US import prices fell 0.5 percent in April after a revised 1.5 percent spike in March, mainly as the price of oil receded, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected a 0.2 percent decline. The government’s index of imported petroleum prices fell 1.8 percent, and the fuel index dropped a sharper 2.1 percent.

Excluding fuel, US import prices rose 0.1 percent last month. Imported autos posted the biggest increase since June 2011, up 0.4 percent, while food and beverages edged up 0.1 percent.

Import prices have risen just 0.5 percent over the past 12 months. Export prices, meanwhile, rose 0.4 percent in April following a 0.8 percent increase in March.

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