By Michael S. Derby

May 6 (Reuters) - Supply chain pressures in April hit their highest level since July 2022, as the Middle East war heavily impacted firms' ability to move goods around the world freely, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released Wednesday said.

The April Global Supply Chain Pressures index moved up sharply to 1.82 in April, from March’s 0.68. The New York Fed did not give any explanation for the factors driving up the index. The index stood at 1.86 in July 2022.