The U.S. Census Bureau released its monthly wholesale trade report on June 9, reflecting results through April, which showed another considerable sales and inventories increase that was powered by petroleum products tied to impacts from the Iran war that began on Feb. 28, but to a much lesser degree than in March.
The report showed that April sales of merchant wholesalers — except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustments or seasonal variations and trading day differences, but not for price changes — were $789 billion, up 2.0% from the revised March level and up 13.3% year-over-year. March’s total was revised up to a 3.0% monthly gain (from 2.0%).
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Within April’s wholesale sales data, durable goods sales increased 0.9% month-over-month and 13.1% year-over-year, while nondurable goods sales increased 3.0% MoM and 13.5% YoY. The monthly nondurable gain was powered by an 8.3% jump in petroleum products — cooled from a 25.2% spike in March amid the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz conflict, though still elevated from the 3.9% and 2.1% growth petroleum saw in February and January, respectively.
Here’s a year-over-year look at how April wholesale sales fared month-over-month and year-over-year by NAICS product category, seasonally-adjusted:
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Year-to-Date Sales
With four months of data in the books, here’s how U.S. wholesale sales have fared year-to-date in 2026 vs. 2025
Inventories
Total wholesale inventories advanced another 0.6% in April month-over-month and 3.6% year-over-year. The monthly figure trailed the 0.8% market forecasts but was the third straight strong gain nonetheless, following March’s 1.5% that was the biggest jump since August 2022. The April gain was led by a 0.9% increase in durable goods, led by a 3.0% advance in electrical products (3.4% in March) and 1.1% gain in commercial equipment & supplies.
Here’s a look at how April wholesale inventories fared month-over-month and year-over-year by NAICS product category.
Inventories/Sales Ratio
The seasonally-adjusted April inventories/sales ratio for wholesalers was 1.19, dipping further from March’s 1.21 and the 1.30 of a year earlier — meaning that sales are outpacing inventories.
Here’s a look at how April’s inventories/sales ratio fared month-over-month and year-over-year by NAICS product category.
