(Adds detail, background)
TOKYO, April 12 (Reuters) - Japan's wholesale prices
rose 7.2% in March from a year earlier, with the pace of
increase slowing for the third straight month, data showed on
Wednesday, offering some relief to households and firms hit by a
steady rise in raw material costs.
The gain in the corporate goods price index (CGPI),
which measures the price companies charge each other for their
goods and services, was roughly in line with a median market
forecast for a 7.1% gain. It followed a revised 8.3% increase in
February.
Rising global commodity and fuel costs have pushed
Japan's wholesale and consumer inflation to multi-decade highs,
heightening market expectations the Bank of Japan (BOJ) may soon
phase out its massive stimulus programme.
(Reporting by Leika Kihara
Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Messaging: leika.kihara.reuters.com@reuters.net))
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