WASHINGTON, Jumada II 15, 1438, March 14, 2017, SPA -- U.S. wholesale prices increased at just half the rate in February as the previous month, the government said Tuesday, as a surge in energy prices slowed. The Labor Department reported that its producer price index climbed 0.3 percent in February following a 0.6 percent rise in January. Part of the slowdown reflected less of an increase in energy products, which rose 0.6 percent in February after jumping 4.7 percent in January. Over the past 12 months, wholesale prices are up 2.2 percent, reflecting a steady rise in inflation as energy prices have increased. --SPA 19:47 LOCAL TIME 16:47 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w353412