Tariffs Push Up Prices, U.S. Retail Sales Surge in June

BlockBeats News, July 17th, US June retail sales rebounded stronger than expected, but some of the growth may reflect price increases for some goods affected by tariffs. Data released on Thursday showed that retail sales grew by 0.6% last month, following an unrevised 0.9% decline in May, surpassing the market's general expectation of 0.1% growth. Part of the reason for last month's retail sales growth may be price increases driven by tariffs rather than volume.

This week's inflation data showed steady price increases in tariff-sensitive goods in June, such as household items, appliances, sporting goods, and toys. Excluding auto, gasoline, building materials, and food services, retail sales rose by 0.5% last month, revised up from 0.2% in May. Sam Bullard, Senior Economist at Wells Fargo, said, "Overall, the household sector appears to still be supportive, but consumer spending seems to be moderating." (FXStreet)