Japan April wholesale inflation rate spikes on rising import costs

TOKYO - Japan's wholesale prices in April rose a faster-than-expected 4.9% from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, highlighting mounting inflationary pressures from the Iran war-induced spike in oil costs.

The data will likely add pressure on the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates as soon as its next policy meeting in June.

The rise in the corporate goods price index (CGPI), which measures the price companies charge each other for their goods and services, was much higher than the median market forecast for a 3.0% annual increase. It accelerated sharply from a revised 2.9% gain in March.

The yen-based import price index spiked 17.5% in April from a year earlier after a revised 8.0% gain in May, the data released by the BOJ showed.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 8:07 PM.