Consumer Price Index: Veggie prices are down, tomatoes and citrus (and inflation) are up

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for July. In general, prices in the U.S. are steady at 2.7 percent compared to the same time last year, which is very much in line with the June CPI being only 0.2 percent lower. According to this report, year-over-year inflation has increased to 2.9 percent. 

When it comes to food, grocery prices remained stable, experiencing only a slight 0.1 percent decrease compared to the previous month. This is part of a slow and steady upward trend that has seen prices go up only 1.2 percent in 2025—good news for consumers amid international trade turmoil. 

Prices for fruits and vegetables remain unchanged from last month and are up only 0.2 percent compared to the same time in 2024. Apples are down 1.7 percent after two months with no variance, while citrus prices are in a slight upward trend, with prices increasing by 2 percent compared to June.

But the item that saw the biggest jump in the last month was tomatoes, which experienced a 3.3 percent price uptick after riding a slow and steady downward trend since May. It may be too early to tell if this increase is related to the U.S. terminating the Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico or the country's decision to impose minimum export prices for Mexican tomatoes. The industry will need to keep a keen eye on future CPI releases to identify any emerging trends.