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August 18, 2026
The Labor Department released a report on Tuesday showing a decline in U.S. import prices in July. The report said import prices fell by 0.4 in July following a 0.3% decrease in June. The Labor Department also said the annual rate of import price growth slowed from 7.1% in June to 5.9% in July. The monthly decrease in import prices came amid an extended nosedive in fuel import prices, which plummeted by 7.2% in July after plunging by 3.8% in June.
Meanwhile, the report said prices for non-fuel imports rose by 0.4% in July after inching up by 0.1% in June. The Labor Department said higher prices for capital goods, foods, feeds, beverages, and automotive vehicles, parts, and engines more than offset lower prices for non-fuel industrial supplies and materials.
The report also said export prices tumbled by 1.3% in July after falling by 0.7% in June. The Labor Department also said the annual rate of export price growth slowed to 8.2% in July from 10.2% in June. The steep monthly drop in export prices came as prices for non-agricultural exports slumped by 1.5%, more than offsetting a 1.0% jump in prices for agricultural exports. 08/18/2026 - 09:36:00 (RTTNews)
While the Federal Reserve released a report on Tuesday showing U.S. industrial production rising in July, the report also showed an increase in June. The Fed said industrial production crept up by 0.2% in July after climbing by 0.3% in June. The modest increase in industrial production came as utilities output climbed by 0.5%, while both mining and manufacturing output rose by 0.2%.
The report also said capacity utilization in the industrial sector ticked up from 76.2% in June to 76.3% in July. Capacity utilization in the utilities sector rose to 70.0%, capacity utilization in the manufacturing sector crept up to 76.0%, and capacity utilization in the mining sector inched up to 86.1%. 08/18/2026 - 10:09:00 (RTTNews)
Euros traded at 1.1580 against USD at 9:00 AM PST
German economic confidence rose to a six-month high in August, driven by good company results and robust exports. The economic sentiment advanced to 34.2 in August from 26.3 in July. This was the highest score since February. The assessment of the current situation was more positive in August, with the indicator rising 16.5 points to -61.1.
Economic confidence for the Euro area also strengthened in August. The corresponding index climbed 8 points to 31.4. Although the assessment of the current situation improved strongly by 16.2 points to -21.5, the index remained in negative territory. 08/18/2026 - 06:36:00 (RTTNews)
British Pound traded at 1.3539 against USD at 9:00 AM PST
The UK unemployment rate remained stable in the three months to June, and job vacancies and employment declined, signaling weakness in the labor market. The unemployment rate stood at 4.9% in the June quarter, unchanged from the preceding period. The rate was seen at 4.8%. The number of vacancies decreased 6,000 to 707,000 in the three months to July as firms reduced recruitment due to rising labor costs.
Average earnings excluding bonus logged an annual increase of 3.5%. Including bonus, earnings advanced 4.1%. There were 47,000 working days lost because of labor disputes in June. In July, employment decreased 94,000 from the previous year and by 13,000 monthly to 30.3 million. 08/18/2026 - 07:47:00 (RTTNews)
This market update is prepared by Cathay Bank for informational purposes only and does not constitute any form of legal, tax or investment advice, nor should it be considered an assurance or guarantee of future exchange rate movements or trends. This information is provided without regard to the specific objectives, financial situations or needs of any recipient. Cathay Bank does not make any representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of this market update.
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