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.

Outras mudanças de preços em maio:

  • Os preços de roupas subiram 0,3 por cento e ficaram 4,8 por cento mais altos do que há um ano.
  • As tarifas aéreas saltaram 2,7 por cento e ficaram quase 27 por cento mais altas do que há um ano.
  • Os preços da eletricidade aumentaram 0,6 por cento e subiram 5,9 por cento nos últimos 12 meses.
  • Os preços dos alimentos cresceram de forma mais lenta. Os custos de mercearia subiram ligeiramente 0,1 por cento em relação a abril, mas permaneceram 2,7 por cento mais altos do que há um ano.

A Casa Branca observou que alguns custos domésticos caíram em maio. Os preços de veículos novos, medicamentos controlados e seguros de automóveis apresentaram queda em relação ao mês anterior.

Os preços têm subido mais rápido do que os salários há meses. Os americanos têm dependido cada vez mais de economias para manter os gastos. Mais pessoas têm atrasado o pagamento de faturas de cartão de crédito. Os varejistas observaram que os clientes estão comprando quantidades menores de combustível.

O Federal Reserve deve realizar sua próxima reunião de política sob a presidência do novo presidente Kevin Warsh. Espera-se que o banco central mantenha as taxas de juros inalteradas. Os mercados agora esperam que as taxas subam antes do fim do ano devido à alta inflação.

Custos de empréstimos mais elevados levariam a taxas de hipoteca mais altas, empréstimos de automóveis mais caros e aumento nos custos para empresas que buscam crédito.