Wholesalers allegedly provided reps with valuable tickets
Producer price index falls 0.5% in April, with tariffs impact expected to show up starting in June
Gains were led by a 7.1% jump in machinery and equipment
Producer price index drops for the first time since October 2023
Positive figures cover period ahead of the escalating trade war with the U.S.
Wholesale sales dropped 0.2% to $83.6 billion in December; wholesale sales were down 0.8%
Wholesale sales increased in six of the seven subsectors the agency tracks
The agency says sales fell in five of seven subsectors
The wholesale figures reflect a broad, steady slowdown in price increases
The overall decrease came as sales fell in five of the seven subsectors