Key Takeaways
- U.S. PPI jumped 6% year-over-year in April 2026, the biggest gain since December 2022, driven largely by energy costs.
- Gasoline prices climbed 15.6%, and energy goods rose 7.8%, both tied directly to Strait of Hormuz disruptions from the U.S.-Israel-Iran war.
- Trump told reporters that Americans’ financial hardships are “not even a little bit” a factor in his push for a nuclear deal with Iran.
Gasoline Prices Jump 15.6% in April as Iran War Drives Worst U.S. Wholesale Inflation in 3 Years
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the April Producer Price Index on Wednesday, May 13. Economists had forecast a 4.9% annual gain. The final print came in more than a full percentage point above that estimate.
Monthly, the final demand PPI rose 1.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis. That is the biggest one-month advance since March 2022, when the index climbed 1.7%. The reading follows gains of 0.7% in March and 0.6% in February.
Energy prices drove the headline beat. Final demand goods rose 2.0% for the month, with the energy component up 7.8%. Gasoline prices alone climbed 15.6%. Jet fuel, diesel, and industrial chemicals also posted notable gains.
Nearly 60% of the monthly advance came from services. Final demand services rose 1.2%, the most since March 2022. Transportation and warehousing costs jumped 5.0%. Machinery and equipment wholesaling margins gained 3.5%.
Core PPI, which strips out foods, energy, and trade services, rose 0.6% for the month and 4.4% year-over-year. That annual core reading is the highest since February 2023.
The primary factor behind the energy shock is the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, 2026. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets prompted retaliation and led to Iran largely blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly 20-25% of global seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas. Brent crude has held above $100 per barrel, near $104 as of early May.
A fragile ceasefire reached in early April remains in effect but unstable, keeping energy markets on edge. Analysts say the April PPI print would have come in near the consensus forecast without the war-driven oil shock.
When reporters asked President Trump how much Americans’ financial hardships from rising gas prices and inflation were factoring into his pursuit of an Iran deal, he was direct. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situations,” Trump remarked. “I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing, we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
He added that household cost pressures were “not even a little bit” a motivating factor. Trump has separately described the U.S. economy as “roaring” and predicted that a durable resolution to the Iran conflict would crash oil prices and produce a quick economic rebound.
Markets responded to the PPI data with equity declines and rising Treasury yields, but a chip rally has kept the Nasdaq above. There is now a greater possibility that the Federal Reserve could delay rate cuts or shift toward tighter policy if inflation pressures persist.
The PPI is a leading indicator of wholesale-level price pressures that can pass through to consumer prices. The April consumer price index (CPI), released separately yesterday, came in around 3.8% year-over-year. A sustained reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would likely ease energy costs and reduce inflation across the supply chain.
