Overview

• U.S. consumer prices rose 0.4% from July and 2.9% year over year in August, the biggest monthly gain in seven months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Grocery prices in the U.S. increased 0.6% in August and gasoline rose 1.9%, with core inflation running at 3.1% over the past year.
• Reporters noted that recent U.S. tariff increases may be lifting prices for some imports such as coffee and bananas, with the measures still in effect pending a Supreme Court review in November.
• Ireland’s consumer prices rose 2.0% year over year in August as food inflation reached 5.1%, the highest since December 2023, with CSO data showing notable increases for cheddar, butter and milk.
• Item-level swings were pronounced: U.S. ground coffee averaged $8.87 per pound versus $6.31 a year earlier and tomatoes averaged $1.93 per pound, while pasta and beans were roughly 9% cheaper than a year ago.