By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. consumer prices increased less than expected in May as cheaper gasoline partially offset higher rents, but inflation is expected to accelerate in the coming months on the back of the Trump administration's import tariffs.

Prices for toys, car parts and major appliances jumped in the US last month, but the overall impact of Donald Trump's new tariffs on consumers appeared to remain relatively muted. Overall inflation, the pace of price increases, picked up to 2.4% in May, rising from 2.3% in April, the Labor Department said.