US inflation shock: Biggest price hikes hitting businesses

Before American households feel inflation at the cash register, it often starts much earlier, in the supply chain. When companies face rising production costs, those pressures can spread, affecting everything from grocery bills to construction budgets, according to visualcapitalist.com.

The source cited, in partnership with Terzo, has compiled a ranking of the major price increases for US businesses in 2025.

• The most affected commodities

Based on data from the Producer Price Index, which tracks the prices that American businesses pay for raw materials, energy, intermediate goods, etc., the source cited shows that the largest advance was recorded by turkey meat. Thus, companies have been affected by a 70% increase in wholesale prices in the past year, driven by outbreaks of avian flu that reduced supply. Businesses that use turkey as a primary raw material, such as producers of sausages, frozen foods and pet food, are particularly affected.

The increase in the price of turkey has also affected food retailers in the US, but, in many cases, companies have not passed on these prices to consumers. Many retailers see turkeys as a source of loss, absorbing higher costs to lure shoppers into their stores, according to the source.

• Metals crowd the high inflation rankings

Eight of the 15 biggest price increases in the U.S. are related to metals, according to the source. Aluminum prices have been pushed up by high costs for smelting, an energy-intensive process; tariffs that have squeezed supply; and strong demand for the metal in everything from vehicles to artificial intelligence-powered data centers.

Copper has also seen a big rise, driven by tight supply just as demand accelerates due to electrification, grids and renewable energy infrastructure.

Analysts are divided on the outlook for copper prices. While Goldman Sachs predicts copper prices will fall in 2026, JPMorgan Global Research expects the advance to continue.

According to the cited source, primary metals recorded a price increase of 62% last year in the US, ranking second in the top, after turkey meat. Places 3-10 look like this: metal ores (+47%), recycled metals (+31%), aluminum products (+31%), aluminum scrap (+25%), wholesale beef (+21%), copper scrap (+20%), industrial gases (+18%), nitrogen fertilizers (+18%). Up to place 15, the ranking is as follows: steel products (+17%), portfolio management (+17%), fluid power equipment (+16%), wire and cable (+15), non-edible fats and oils (+14%).