Figures released south of the border Friday show wholesale prices rose 0.3% in December, led higher by more expensive gas, food and cars.
The U.S. Labor Department also says the producer price index, which measures price changes before they reach consumers, increased 1.6% last year. That's the biggest 12-month gain since September 2014. Still, that number is low historically and suggests inflation is largely in check.
The Federal Reserve has begun slowly to raise interest rates as the stateside economy heals and is keeping a close eye on inflation. With wages starting to increase more quickly, companies may raise prices to offset those costs. Yet wholesale price increases remain below the Fed's target of 2%.
December's gain was led by a big climb in wholesale gas prices, which rose 7.8%.
