Factory gate prices for UK-manufactured goods rose 1.7% year-on-year in February 2026, easing from a 2.5% increase in January and defying expectations of a slight pickup to 2.6%. This marked the softest reading since April last year, with the main downward pressure coming from coke and refined petroleum products, where prices fell 8.6%, deepening from a 7.7% decline and providing the largest drag on the overall rate. Producer inflation also moderated for motor vehicles and transport equipment, with annual price growth slowing sharply to 1.8% from 5.5%. Meanwhile, producer inflation eased for food products (2.4% vs 3.2%) and other manufacturing outputs (2.7% vs 2.9%), though both remained key upward contributors, with food prices partly driven by higher beef costs amid supply and demand pressures. On a monthly basis, producer output prices fell 0.5%, after being unchanged in January and defying forecasts of a 0.2% rise.