The PPI Comes in Hot
The U.S. Producer Price Index covers a lot of ground, from wholesale prices at the distributor level to input prices for manufacturers, transportation, and other production costs.
The PPI surged 1.4% in April 2026.
This reading exceeded expectations, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report. This is the largest monthly rise since March 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Wholesale inflation increased 6.0% annually, driven by a 1.2% jump in services and a 2.0% increase in goods.
Key drivers are gasoline prices, which saw a significant jump of 15.6%.
The BLS is scheduled to release the next PPI report (May 2026 data) on June 11, 2026.
The U.S. to Supply the EU with LNG?
Reuters reported that the United States is expected to supply 80% of European countries’ LNG import needs over the next 12-18 months.
The IEEFA (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis) report released yesterday states that Europe sourced 58% of its LNG from the U.S. in 2025 and is on track to reach 80% by 2028, as the EU moves to ban Russian LNG by 2027 and Russian pipeline gas by 2028.
U.S. LNG already supplied over 57% of EU LNG imports by early 2026, up from 45% in 2024.
U.S. domestic gas price projections average $4.90/MMBtu between 2030 and 2035. That is nearly 50% higher than 2025 levels, driven by surging export demand layered on top of AI data center electricity demand.
Read this week’s Brief for more market insights and how it may be impacting your supply chain.
