U.S. Tariffs Spin Up Record Increase in Washing Machine Prices

(Bloomberg) -- Months after the Trump administration imposed a combination of tariffs and quotas on washing machines, prices paid by U.S. consumers for laundry equipment surged by the most since 2006.

The government’s April consumer price data on Thursday showed a 9.6 percent month-over-month jump in what American households paid for laundry machines. Such equipment represents less than a 1 percent share of the CPI.

Overall, consumer prices rose by a less-than-forecast 0.2 percent last month as costs for automobiles and airfares declined.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Tanzi in Washington at atanzi@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Scott Lanman at slanman@bloomberg.net, Vince Golle, Chris Middleton

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