Oil Blockade Blockades Federal Reserve Rate Cuts

Annual inflation rose to 3.3% in March, a two-year high. This increase was driven by a sharp rise in costs for products impacted by an oil shortage. Energy prices jumped almost 12% from February to March. U.S. gasoline prices reached an average of $4.152 per gallon, a $1.17 increase since the start of the war. Airline fares increased 3.4% in March. These price increases followed the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which began on Feb. 28. The closure blocked approximately one-fifth of the global supply of oil and natural gas. The Federal Reserve may be reluctant to lower borrowing costs.