Marketplace All-in-One What happens when the government finally does the numbers
Nov 17, 2025
Carla Javier, a Marketplace reporter, dives into the significance of delayed import price data and its implications for tariffs and consumer inflation. She explains how these numbers can indicate who truly bears the cost of tariffs, whether it's exporters or American buyers. Ilaria Mazzocco, a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses China's electric vehicle surplus, driven by supportive policies and rapid industry growth. She advocates for the U.S. to learn from China’s comprehensive EV ecosystem to enhance its own market.
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Shutdown Hid Tariff Effects
- Missing import price data from the 43-day shutdown has clouded analysis of tariff impacts and inflation.
- BLS catch-up will clarify whether foreign exporters absorbed tariffs or passed costs to U.S. buyers.
Import Prices Show Who Pays
- The BLS import price series measures prices before tariffs, revealing who bears tariff costs.
- Rising import prices suggest exporters pass tariffs onto U.S. importers and consumers.
Delayed Data Can Be Recovered
- Missing September import data makes it hard to assess responses to August metal tariffs.
- Companies' price records allow BLS to retroactively fill the gaps once work resumes.