Marketplace February inflation data shows more of the same
Apr 9, 2026
Daniel Ackerman, Marketplace reporter covering consumer check-ins, tracks resilient spending despite rising prices. Elizabeth Trowbaugh, Marketplace reporter, reports from Houston on plastic and petrochemical shortages squeezing manufacturers. They discuss February PCE inflation, supply shocks in plastics, and how consumers and industry are coping.
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Slowing Growth Meets Rising Inflation
- The U.S. economy shows slowing GDP growth alongside rising inflation, signaling potential stagflation risk.
- Catherine Ann Edwards ties weak Q4 growth partly to the government shutdown and flags rising long-term unemployment even without a formal recession.
Strait Disruption Spreads Beyond Oil
- Closure of the Strait of Hormuz reduces Middle East plastics exports, amplifying global petrochemical shortages beyond oil.
- Sectors hit include food/beverage packaging and pharmaceuticals, forcing some manufacturers to absorb costs.
Plastic Price Shock At A Houston Molder
- Texas Injection Molding's Jeff Applegate shows how rising plastic pellet prices squeeze manufacturers who use ~8 million pounds annually.
- ICIS reports U.S. March contract prices jumped ~20%, driven by oil/gas cost rises and Gulf export disruptions.