Rebound in Food Prices Set to Be Followed by Trade Uncertainty

  • Global food-commodity costs cap first annual gain since 2021
  • Markets brace for any trade wars under Trump administration
Fresh produce for sale at a street market in Paris.Photographer: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg
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A rebound in global food prices is threatening to add to consumers’ grocery costs this year, just as the agricultural world braces for potential trade disruptions.

A United Nations index tracking raw commodity costs of food ended the year up almost 7%, the first annual gain in three. While it takes time to filter through to supermarkets and the gauge remains well below a 2022 peak, it could put a fresh squeeze on shoppers hit by broader inflationary pressures in recent years.