The Commerce Department said retail sales rose 0.4pc last month as households stepped up purchases of motor vehicles and a variety of other goods. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales edging up 0.1pc in June.

"There's a lot of upside surprises in the details," said Tom Simons, a money market economist at Jefferies in New York.

"This is certainly bond negative because it suggests that the economy is still doing really well and the Fed is about to add some more fuel to the fire, and maybe we do get some inflation," Simons said.

Other data on Tuesday also showed that manufacturing output rose 0.4pc in June, after gaining 0.2pc in May.

The Atlanta Fed lifted its GDP growth estimate for the second quarter by two-tenths of a percentage point to a 1.6pc annualized rate after the data releases. The estimate, though, remains below the 3.1pc pace of growth in the January-March quarter.

Benchmark 10-year notes fell 8/32 in price to yield 2.118pc, up from 2.092pc late on Monday.

The Federal Reserve is seen as certain to cut rates when it meets later this month, even as the US economic picture improves.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on Tuesday reiterated pledges to "act as appropriate" to keep the US economy humming, in a speech that did not deviate from expectations that a rate cut is on the way.

Records from the US central bank's latest meeting, released last week, showed increasing fear that a US-China trade war is indirectly causing businesses to hold back on buying equipment, giving workers a raise and hiking their prices.

Interest rate futures traders are pricing in a 73pc chance of a 25 basis point cut and a 27pc likelihood of a 50 basis point cut, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool.

The US yield curve has steepened in the past week as the US economic picture improves.

Data earlier this month showed that US job growth rebounded strongly in June while underlying consumer prices also gained by the most in nearly 1-1/2 years in the month.