Taiwan's CPI climbs 0.57 pct year-on-year in August

Taiwan's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, increased 0.57 percent in August year on year, the island's statistics agency announced Tuesday.

The agency mainly attributed the increase to rising food prices in August.

The agency's data shows fruit prices for August jumping 23.02 percent from the same period last year, after unfavorable, changeable weather, including cold fronts, heavy rain and high temperatures.

Meanwhile, the price of aquatic products in August also rose 5.33 percent from the same month last year.

Compared with the preceding month, the CPI in August was down 0.03 percent amid decreased prices of clothes and oil, the agency said, adding that CPI increased 1.38 percent in the first eight months of the year from the same period a year earlier. Endi