Snapping a four-month increase, on the back of slipping prices of energy-linked goods, U.S. producer prices declined sharply in February, data showed on March 17.
The producer-price index for finished goods declined 0.6%, following a 1.4% advance in January and a 0.4% increase in December as well as rises in the previous two months, the Labor Department said.
Much of the decline in February prices was attributed to a 2.9% drop in prices for energy goods.
Producer prices are still 4.4% higher than last year.
Excluding food and energy, core prices for finished goods were marginally higher at 0.1%, compared with a 0.3% increase in January.
Also the Federal Reserve maintained interest rates at near zero percent on the back of a troubled labor market, tame inflation and the fragile recovery.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010
