Country Watch | 18 October 2026 | Germany
Germany's federal statistics office Destatis reported that wholesale selling prices were 8.7% higher in September 2026 than one year earlier, and 1.9% higher than in August. The rise accelerated from 6.8% in August and 5.3% in July. Destatis pointed to sharply more expensive petroleum products and non-ferrous metals, amid supply shocks affecting energy and intermediate goods.
This is a wholesale selling-price index, not the household consumer price index. Retail firms can absorb a part of higher procurement costs, pass them on with delays, or change what they stock. A high wholesale rate may therefore signal margin pressure even before it appears in a consumer's shopping basket. Sector composition matters: different businesses face different suppliers, contracts and opportunities to substitute inputs.
For Germany's manufacturing and retail firms, the question is whether the squeeze proves temporary or forces lasting changes in pricing and investment.
Discussion question: When wholesale prices jump, who should bear the cost first: manufacturers, retailers, consumers or governments?
— Forgotten Fortunes Editorial