𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗛𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝗦 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲

US President Donald Trump said he loves inflation on Wednesday. The comment came after new data showed US consumer prices rose 4.2 percent in May from one year earlier. This marked the fastest annual increase in more than three years. It was also the third straight month of accelerating inflation. Trump had previously dismissed affordability concerns as a hoax started by Democrats. He had also claimed he was lowering the cost of living.

Key inflation data:

  • Consumer prices rose 4.2 percent in May compared with one year ago. This was up from 3.8 percent in April.
  • Prices increased 0.5 percent from April to May. This followed a 0.6 percent gain in April and a 0.9 percent gain in March.
  • Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.2 percent in May. This was down from 0.4 percent in April. On an annual basis, core prices increased 2.9 percent.
  • Inflation remains well above the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target.

Trump told reporters the numbers were great. He blamed the price jump on energy costs tied to the Iran war. Government data showed energy accounted for more than 60 percent of the monthly increase. He said inflation would fall once the conflict ends.

Trump said his administration had been taking millions of barrels of oil out every night through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the effort began last month and moved more than 100 million barrels through the strait. He said more than 200 commercial ships had traveled through the route safely. The strait had been shut since February 28 due to the conflict. Before the shutdown, roughly 20 million barrels moved through the route each day. The volume Trump mentioned equals about five days of normal shipments.

No data was available to verify those figures. It was also unclear what role the US military played in moving the oil.

Trump said the operation helped push crude prices below $90 per barrel. Oil prices had topped $110 in early April. On Wednesday, US crude futures rose about 4 percent to nearly $92 per barrel. The increase came amid new US airstrikes against Iran and retaliatory action by Tehran against countries in the region.

Otros cambios de precios en mayo:

  • Los precios de la ropa subieron un 0,3 % y fueron un 4,8 % más altos que hace un año.
  • Las tarifas aéreas aumentaron un 2,7 % y fueron casi un 27 % más altas que hace un año.
  • Los precios de la electricidad aumentaron un 0,6 % y subieron un 5,9 % en los últimos 12 meses.
  • Los precios de los alimentos crecieron más lentamente. Los costos de los comestibles aumentaron ligeramente un 0,1 % respecto a abril, pero se mantuvieron un 2,7 % por encima de hace un año.

La Casa Blanca señaló que algunos costos del hogar disminuyeron en mayo. Los precios de los vehículos nuevos, los medicamentos recetados y los seguros de automóviles bajaron con respecto al mes anterior.

Los precios han estado subiendo más rápido que los salarios durante meses. Los estadounidenses han dependido cada vez más de sus ahorros para mantener el gasto. Más personas se han retrasado en los pagos de sus tarjetas de crédito. Los minoristas han observado que los clientes compran cantidades menores de gasolina.

La Reserva Federal tiene programada su próxima reunión de política bajo el nuevo presidente, Kevin Warsh. Se espera que el banco central mantenga las tasas de interés sin cambios. Los mercados ahora esperan que las tasas suban antes de fin de año debido a la alta inflación.

Unos mayores costos de endeudamiento darían lugar a tasas hipotecarias más altas, préstamos para automóviles más caros y un aumento en los costos para las empresas que buscan crédito.