US

The illustration shows a US dollar bill and Visa and Mastercard cards.

Retail sales in the United States increased in April as forecasted, partly due to inflation caused by the conflict in the Middle East, according to data released by the Commerce Department on Thursday.

They rose by 0.5% in April compared to a 1.6% increase in March (revised from +1.7%), as reported by the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce.

The conflict between the United States and Iran, which has kept energy prices high, has had visible effects on inflation, with consumer prices in the US experiencing a significant increase in April for the second consecutive month.

Gasoline prices rose by 12.3% in April, according to the US Energy Information Agency.

Although this increase has not yet led to a reduction in spending in other sectors, due in part to increased tax refunds this year, the margin for maneuver is narrowing.

Excluding automobiles, fuels, construction materials, and restaurant services, retail sales increased by 0.5% in April, after +0.8% (revised) in March and a forecast of +0.4%.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; French version by Diana Mandi, edited by Augustin Turpin)