The illustration shows a US dollar banknote and Visa and Mastercard cards
U.S. retail sales rose as expected in April, partly due to the impact of inflation caused by the conflict in the Middle East, data released Thursday by the Commerce Department showed.
They increased by 0.5% in April over one month compared to an increase of 1.6% in March (revised from +1.7%), indicated the Bureau of the Census of the Department of Commerce.
The “conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran, which keeps energy prices high, is already having visible repercussions â on inflation, with “consumer prices in the United States†having recorded a sharp rise in April “for the second consecutive month.
Gasoline prices rose 12.3% in April, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Although this increase has not yet led to a reduction in spending in other sectors, thanks in particular to the increase in tax refunds this year, the room for maneuver is diminishing.
Excluding automobiles, fuels, construction materials and catering services, retail sales showed an increase of 0.5% in April, after +0.8% (revised) in March and a forecast of +0.4%.
(Reportage Lucia Mutikani; French version Diana Mandiá, edited ​by Augustin Turpin)
