April CPI report expected to show first signs of Trump tariffs' inflationary impact

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Yahoo Finance
April CPI report expected to show first signs of Trump tariffs' inflationary impact

Josh Schafer
Reporter
Mon, May 12, 2025 at 2:57 PM EDT
3 min read

April's Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to show the first clear signs of inflationary impacts from President Trump's tariffs. … The report, set for release at 8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, will greet investors less than 24 hours after markets soared on news the US and China have placed a 90-day pause on a wide swath of tariffs between the two countries.

"We expect the first signs of tariff related inflation to show up in the April CPI released on Tuesday," UBS chief economist Jonathan Pingle wrote in a note to clients on Monday.

Inflation is expected to have picked up for the month in which President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement prompted concern among investors, businesses, and consumers over higher prices for goods. Trump quickly pivoted a week after the initial move, announcing a 90-day pause on the tariffs for all countries except for China. He kept 10% baseline duties in place for all countries.

In the CPI report, headline annual inflation is forecast to come in at 2.4% in April, flat from March's increase. On a month-over-month basis, prices are estimated to rise 0.3%, above the 0.1% decline seen in March.

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