| Wholesale prices in July rose more
sharply than expected and at a faster rate than consumer prices,{{U}} (1)
{{/U}}that businesses were still protecting consumers{{U}} (2)
{{/U}}the full brunt (冲击) of higher energy costs. The Producer Price Index, {{U}}(3) {{/U}}measures what producers receive for goods and services, {{U}}(4) {{/U}}1 percent in July, the Labor Department reported yesterday, double{{U}} (5) {{/U}}economists had been expecting and a sharp turnaround from fiat prices in June. Excluding{{U}} (6) {{/U}}and energy, the core index of producer prices rose 0.4 percent, {{U}}(7) {{/U}}than the 0.1 percent that economists had{{U}} (8) {{/U}}Much of that increase was a result of an{{U}} (9) {{/U}}increase in car and truck prices. On Tuesday, the Labor Department said the{{U}} (10) {{/U}}that consumers paid for goods and services in July were{{U}} (11) {{/U}}0.5 percent over all, and up 0.1 percent, excluding food and energy. {{U}} (12) {{/U}}the overall rise in both consumer and producer prices{{U}} (13) {{/U}}caused by energy costs, which increased 4.4 percent in the month. (Wholesale food prices{{U}} (14) {{/U}}0.3 percent in July. ){{U}} (15) {{/U}}July 2004, wholesale prices were up 4.6 percent; the core rate{{U}} (16) {{/U}}2.8 percent, its fastest pace since 1995．Typically, increases in the Producer Price Index indicate similar changes in the consumer index{{U}} (17) {{/U}}businesses recoup (补偿) higher costs from customers. {{U}}(18) {{/U}}for much of this expansion, which started{{U}} (19) {{/U}}the end of 2001, that has not been the{{U}} (20) {{/U}}. In fact, many businesses like automakers have been aggressively discounting their products. |