"By the numbers
"The CPI was forecast to rise 2.6% last month, according to economists polled by financial data firm FactSet. The CPI, a basket of goods and services typically bought by consumers, tracks the change in those prices over time.
"March's report comes after inflation rose 2.8% on an annual basis in February.
"On a monthly basis, prices actually fell 0.1% in March, the first monthly drop in nearly five years."
Later in the article is a discussion of the prospect of inflation as higher tariffs raise prices.
"Because tariffs are paid by U.S. importers like Walmart when they accept shipments of foreign goods, they typically pass off all or some of the tariff cost onto consumers through higher prices."
Why "all or some"? If other suppliers, such as in the U.S. or other nations subject to lower tariffs, manage to come up with competitive prices, retailers may not be able to pass the suddenly dramatically higher prices of Chinese goods.
Rgular readers will recall my pleasure when I replaced a broken PRC drill press vise with a far better made Taiwanese one for roughly twice the price.
If doubling the price of poorly made PRC drill press vises makes them price competitive with far better made Taiwanese products (and who knows, maybe American products) there may be little or no price pressure on consumers. There might just be a pile of PRC drill press vises remaindered at a price that makes W-M and Harbor Freight rethink China as a source.
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