Inflation has picked up since President Donald Trump announced new import tariffs in April, with the latest consumer price index data showing outsized increases in tariff-sensitive categories, including coffee, toys and televisions.
Overall prices rose 2.9% in August from a year earlier, up from 2.7% in June and July, according to CPI data released Thursday. The CPI measures the cost of a broad basket of everyday goods and services, including groceries, rent and medical care.
That leaves inflation drifting farther from the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.4% in August, the biggest monthly gain since January, and is up 3.1% from a year earlier.
Taken together, this means more pressure on everyday household spending.
Although Trump’s sweeping tariffs were first announced in April, the effects have shown up unevenly since goods move through supply chains at different rates and imports make up a larger share for some products than others.
