U.S. wholesale inflation decelerated last month, suggesting that price pressures are easing for now, according to the Associated Press.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers — was unchanged from January after rising 0.6% the month before. Compared to a year earlier, producer prices were up 3.2%, down from a year-over-year gain of 3.7% in January.
Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called “core” wholesale prices fell 0.1% last month from January, the first drop since July. Core producer prices were up 3.4%, down from a 3.8% year-over-year gain in January.
Gasoline prices fell 4.7% last month, and food prices rose 1.7% from January to February, led by a 28% surge in the price of eggs.
The progress against inflation may not last, however, as President Donald Trump ramps up his trade war with a number of U.S. trading partners.
