社評 0714 通貨膨脹再創新高

通貨膨脹再創新高

在國民一片嘆息和無奈聲中，聯邦統計局週三公佈美國六月份通貨膨脹升高到百分之九點一， 是四十年以來之新高 ，這將迫使聯邦儲備銀行七月底前將再次升息。

比較五月份之通貨膨脹增長了百分之一點三 ，充分反映在油價及食品上面。

拜登總統目前正在中東訪問， 白宮方面把通貨膨胀怪罪於俄羅斯，對烏克蘭之戰爭， 這個說法可能是對了三分之一 ，我們要指出，今天世界局勢一陣混亂，加上疫情並未終止， 大國之間的博奕打破了世界供應鍊及商業銀行體系， 物流無法暢通， 航運費增漲近十倍， 無疑是物價上漲之最主要原因。

我們要呼籲拜登政府應改變在能源開發之政策， 事實上 ，近幾年來， 包括德州頁岩油及天然氣之開發已經是從原油之輸入國成了輸出國， 當新政府上台後立即轉變政策，使許多油井封口，已便改變生態環境。

重建世界供應鏈， 疫情之中，世界各國實施封城措施， 極大影響了生產線及全球海運貨櫃之價格， 更進一步影響到物流之暢通 ，同時中美關係及俄烏之戰重劃全球政治及經濟版圖 ，導致推毀全球化之原有制度 ，致使全球通貨膨脹， 再次進入冷戰危機實屬不幸。

 U.S. Inflation Is Skyrocketing

The U.S. inflation rate roared again to a forty-year high. It's likely now that the Federal Reserve will raise the interest rate, an action that will risk the upending of the economic expansion.

The consumer price index also rose to 9.1% over the past year to the largest gain since the end of 1981, according to the Department of Labor.

The inflation gauge increased 1.3 % from last month, the most since 2005 reflecting the higher prices of gasoline and food.

The FED will keep an aggressive policy course to rein-in the demand which adds pressure to President Biden and congressional democrats whose support has now slumped just ahead of the midterm elections.

President Biden is traveling to the Middle East to discuss energy output with Saudi Arabia in hopes of lowering the high prices at the pump. Food costs climbed by 1% to 10.4% from one year ago, the largest increase since 1981.

We need to point out that today’s chaotic world and the pandemic have not produced any solutions to ending the game-playing between the major powers or the breaking of the world supply chain or the shaky global financial system. Disrupted logistics also make it difficult to operate smoothly as evidenced by the all-time highs of shipping charges for goods that have increased by nearly 800%, which undoubtedly is the main reason for the continuous rise in prices.

Rebuilding the world’s supply chain and improving relationships between nations will be the first priority toward solving all the current problems.