WASHINGTON (March 25): US import prices increased by the most in nearly four years in February as energy costs surged in anticipation of conflict in the Middle East, adding to signs that inflation is poised to accelerate in the months ahead. Import prices jumped 1.3% last month, the largest increase since March 2022, after an upwardly revised 0.6% gain in January, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast import prices, which exclude tariffs, increasing 0.5% after a previously reported 0.2% rise in January. In the 12 months through February, import prices advanced 1.3%. The strain from the war is on top of import tariffs, which businesses continue to gradually pass on to consumers.

Source: The Edge Markets March 25, 2026 13:18 UTC