US inflation held steady as mild tariff hit offset by cheaper gas, food
Americans are likely to absorb more trade-war costs in the coming months as Trump begins to finalize tariffs.
Americans are likely to absorb more trade-war costs in the coming months as Trump begins to finalize tariffs.
Other financial stressors—like the cost of housing or the amount of money in their bank accounts—weigh more heavily on younger Americans, according to polling.
Cocoa prices have more than doubled over the past two years due to poor weather and disease in West Africa, which supplies more than 70% of the world’s cocoa.
Wholesale prices in June saw their smallest year-over-year gain since September, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.
The price increases in June were broad-based, affecting imports such as cosmetics, shoes and toys, as well as services like medical care, car insurance and education.
The cost of a cookout in Indiana is slightly higher than that of the national average, according to Indiana Farm Bureau.
Consumer sentiment has also fallen sharply this year in the wake of the sometimes-chaotic rollout of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The data showes that tariffs haven’t yet pushed overall prices higher, which suggests that many companies could be absorbing the cost of the higher duties, for now.
The figures show inflation is still declining from its post-pandemic spike, which reached the highest level in four decades in July 2022.
More than half of the monthly increase in April was fueled by a 0.3 percent increase in shelter costs, the labor department said.
President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have said that inflation has steadily cooled and high borrowing costs are no longer needed to restrain price increases.
The slowdown in inflation could be a temporary respite as the widespread tariffs are expected to push up prices in many categories.
The message, posted early Thursday, came one day after Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that the administration’s trade war was “highly likely” to spur a temporary rise in inflation.
U.S. inflation declined last month as the cost of gas, airline fares, and hotel rooms fell, a sign that price growth was cooling even as President Donald Trump ramped up his tariff threats.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s focus on inflation suggests that the Fed will likely keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at about 4.3% in the coming months.
The Federal Reserve has again kept its interest rate at about 4.3%, as the central bank evaluates the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on the economy.
Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, had their lowest increase since April 2021.
Consumers are jittery, in part because of fears that new tariffs could worsen inflation. Executives, however, are hopeful about fewer regulations and are planning to boost investments.
Year-over-year consumer price inflation has now risen for four straight months.
Wednesday’s data could strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to remain in an extended pause mode while the economy is strong and inflation remains elevated.