CNN
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Inflationary pressures eased at the wholesale level last month, another indication of a strong economy before the bulk of President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies kicked in.
The Producer Price Index, a closely watched measurement of wholesale inflation, showed that the prices paid to producers fell 0.4% in March from the month before and slowed on an annual basis to 2.7%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday.
Economists were expecting monthly prices to rise by 0.2% and to hold steady at 3.3% on an annual basis.
PPI serves as a potential bellwether for retail-level inflation in the months ahead.
On Thursday, the latest Consumer Price Index data showed that overall inflation cooled for the goods and services Americans commonly purchase. But Trump’s sweeping tariffs and a quickly escalating trade war with China are expected to result in some price increases for consumers.
This story is developing and will be updated.
