By Dan Cakora – Industry Week
Manufacturers continue their great wait for growth as the second half of 2025 moves along. The July reading of the Consumer Price Index (2.7%) inched up from the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%, fueling speculation that inflation from tariffs may finally be winding its way through the economy and into consumers’ pocketbooks.
Adding fuel to the fire, the July Producer Price Index reading accelerated to 3.3% year-over-year, driven by a massive month-over-month increase of 0.9%. The Federal Reserve held interest rates flat during its July 29 session, but current projections indicate a rate cut of .5% to .75% points is probable by the end of 2025.