Reuters

Global supply pressures eased in February, New York Fed says

Thu, March 3, 2022, 9:44 AM
By Howard Schneider

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Global supply chain pressures eased in February as backlogs and delivery times improved in several key markets and a measure of ocean shipping costs declined, according to new data from the New York Federal Reserve released on Thursday.

The New York Fed's supply chain pressure index, first published in January to measure the coronavirus pandemic's impact on global production troubles and prices, remains at a historic high.

But from a peak of 4.5 in December, it has fallen over consecutive months and hit 3.3 in February, with 0 representing the index's long-term average. The index combines measures of shipping costs, delay times, and order backlogs in the United States, the euro zone, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea.

The improvement, NY Fed analysts noted, was broad across areas of the world and categories. ... If that continues, it could represent an important turning point for the Federal Reserve and other central banks in the their efforts to control inflation.

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(Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Paul Simao)