Cebu retailers warn of price spikes amid Mideast tensions

Retailers in Cebu have warned that consumers may soon face higher prices for basic goods if escalating tensions in the Middle East drive up global oil prices and disrupt supply chains.

- Ehda M. Dagooc Staff Member

Retailers warned that food prices are particularly sensitive to rising transport costs, as freight charges affect the supply chain from importation to distribution. These increases affect a wide range of goods, including food products and manufacturing inputs, adding to the cost of items sold in supermarkets and department stores. FILE PHOTO

Robert Go, spokesperson for the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA-Cebu Chapter), said any sustained increase in oil prices would quickly filter through transport and logistics costs, placing pressure on retailers and eventually on household budgets.