Grocery prices likely to stay high even if fuel costs ease

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Source: WTOP

Grocery prices likely to stay high even if fuel costs ease

Dan Ronan | [e-mail]
April 18, 2026, 7:35 AM

Even if there’s a possibility of gasoline prices falling, consumers shouldn’t expect immediate relief at the grocery store. ... Diesel fuel the backbone of the trucking and freight rail industries remains elevated, averaging about $5.60 a gallon nationwide.

That matters because higher diesel costs drive up shipping rates. Transportation companies pass those costs along to retailers, and retailers, in turn, pass them on to consumers. ... The result: Higher prices at the checkout line and for home deliveries.

Rising diesel prices are especially impacting perishable goods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry and dairy. Recent Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index reports show inflation in those categories continuing to climb.

Even though the conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran began months ago, analysts say the effects are only now showing up in grocery prices. ... “When diesel prices spike as significantly as they have, it amplifies the impact on those types of items,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “It may take weeks or even months to see those prices come down.”

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Dan Ronan
Weekend anchor Dan Ronan is an award-winning journalist with a specialty in business and finance reporting.
[e-mail]

Read more: https://wtop.com/consumer-news/2026/04/grocery-prices-likely-to-stay-high-even-if-fuel-costs-ease/