Manufacturers continued to indicate a sharp lengthening of suppliers’ delivery times, which survey respondents linked to widespread truck driver shortages.
Stretched supply chains, import tariffs on metals, and a corresponding rise in demand for domestically sourced items contributed to greater input costs during August. Nonetheless, the overall rate of input price inflation eased further from the seven-year peak seen in April. Latest data also pointed to the least marked rise in factory gate charges for five months.