KINGSTON, Jamaica — A rise in United States inflation is raising a practical question for Jamaican consumers and businesses: could higher prices abroad soon make life more expensive at home?

US consumer prices rose 4.2 per cent in the 12 months to May, the fastest pace in three years, with the increase driven largely by higher energy costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Energy accounted for much of the monthly increase, while core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose 2.9 per cent.

For Jamaica, that matters because the country imports much of what it consumes and produces. When fuel, freight, food, raw materials or finished goods become more expensive overseas, some of that pressure can eventually show up in local prices.