Inflation slowed more than expected in February, bringing some relief to consumers and Federal Reserve officials alike even as the effects from higher tariffs threaten to push it up again.. The consumer price index climbed 2.

While the overall producer price index came in flat, prices for goods increased by 0.3% in February, while services costs declined by 0.2%. On an annual basis, the PPI increased by 3.2%, down from 3.7% a month earlier. The flat reading for February beat expectations of economists, who had forecast an increase of 0.3% for the month.