The delayed wholesale-price data arrive as analysts assess whether President Donald Trump’s broad import tariffs are driving prices higher — a risk that has so far proved more modest than many expected.
WASHINGTON — The Labor Department on Wednesday released a months-delayed report showing U.S. wholesale prices rose a modest 0.2% in November from October and 3% from a year earlier, the agency said, completing the first of several economic data releases that last fall’s 43-day federal government shutdown pushed past their scheduled dates.
The November producer price index — which measures inflation before it reaches consumers — was originally scheduled for release on December 11. The shutdown held it back until Wednesday.
The delayed data trickle continues: the December producer price index, which had been scheduled for release Wednesday, will instead be published January 30, the Labor Department said.
Wholesale price detail
Gasoline prices rose sharply in November, helping push the headline index higher, according to the Labor Department. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core wholesale prices were unchanged from October and also up 3% from November 2024.
Tariff watch
The figures arrive as analysts watch whether President Donald Trump’s sweeping import tariffs are stoking inflation. The tariffs were expected to drive prices sharply higher, but their impact has so far proved more modest than anticipated, according to the Associated Press.
Consumer prices remain above Fed target
On Tuesday, the Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose 0.3% from November and 2.7% from December 2024. That pace remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.