US inflation slowed to its lowest rate in more than four years, an unexpected and welcome development at a time when President Donald Trump’s dramatically escalated tariffs are expected to cause prices to rise.

U.S. consumer prices rebounded moderately in April as declining food costs partially offset rising rents, leading to the smallest annual increase in four years, but the inflation outlook remains unclear against the backdrop of tariffs.

Inflation was relatively mild in April, but economists said tariffs will end a recent lull and push up more prices in the coming months. The consumer-price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in April,