Well damn. Look at this synopsis from Jerome Powell today.
Tariffs not a big factor in consumer inflation:
- Powell reiterated the Fed's view that tariffs are expected to cause only a temporary lift in inflation, rather than a persistent or major driver. Overall inflationary effects from tariffs have been "quite modest" and less severe than forecasted.
Tariff revenue surging:
- Powell explicitly stated that the U.S. government is collecting a "good amount of revenue" from the tariffs on imports, reflecting a surge in collections as the policies take effect.
Consumers not absorbing much of the costs:
- He explained that importers and retailers have absorbed much of the tariff costs themselves, rather than passing them on to consumers. "It's retailers and it's importers, and they're not passing along to consumers that much of the cost," Powell said, emphasizing that this has limited the passthrough to everyday prices.
These comments represent a notable shift from earlier Fed projections (e.g., from April and August 2025), where Powell and colleagues had warned of potentially larger inflationary risks from tariffs. Today's assessment, based on incoming data, suggests the passthrough has been lower than expected, validating aspects of the Trump administration's trade policy that critics had dismissed as inflationary.