The U.S. Census Bureau released its monthly wholesale trade report for February on April 9, showing industry sales increased considerably month-over-month and year-over-year.

The figure showed that February sales of merchant wholesalers — except manufacturers’ sales branches and officers, after adjustments or season variations and trading differences but not for price changes — were $696.4 billion. That was up 2.4% from the revised January figure and up 4.3% year-over-year. January monthly sales were revised from down 1.5% to down 0.9%.

Frontloading of orders ahead of tariff impacts undoubtedly played a key factor in February’s strong sales gain.

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February durable goods wholesale trade sales ticked up 3.4% month-over-month and jumped 6.6% year-over-year, while nondurable goods sales increased 1.4% month-over-month and increased 2.2% year-over-year.

Inventories

The report showed that total inventories for merchant wholesalers ended February at $902.3 billion, up 0.3% month-over-month. Year-over-year, February inventories were up 0.3%.

source: tradingeconomics.com

Inventories/Sales Ratio

The February inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers was 1.30 month-over-month, down from January’s 1.33 and down from February 2024’s 1.34.

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Table

Here’s how seasonally-adjusted wholesale trade sales of durable and nondurable foods fared in February on a month-over-month basis and year-over-year basis.