BELLEVUE - Creighton University’s Mid-American Business Index shows slow to no growth and economist Ernie Goss says companies are reporting negative impacts of tariffs.

The index shows solid inventories, but falling imports and the survey shows 34 percent of producers changing the source of inputs.

Goss brought up a comment from a supply manager saying some suppliers are using the tariffs as an excuse to raise prices.

Goss: “Supply manager says tariffs are being used as a means to increase prices regardless of whether they are applicable or not. So, everybody is getting punished by tariffs or they are taking advantage of tariffs to raise prices.”

He said the region’s overall factory output is positive, but inflation continues to trend upward at the wholesale level.

He said the economic indicators called the purchasing management indexes, shows the rural areas are being the hardest hit, but said the overall Mid-American index remains a point above growth neutral.

Goss: “Again what this says is manufacturing is slowing down in the U.S., slowing down in the Mid-American region and we’re seeing the rural areas taking a hit more so than the urban area.”

He said the loss of 12,500 manufacturing jobs in the region harmonizes with the national trend.

Goss: “Employment and manufacturing, I know the President wants to bring them back.  They have not come back yet and we continue to shed jobs, but, when you look at the overall manufacturing number, that’s output not jobs, it’s still positive.”

He said business surveys show inflationary pressure.

Goss: “Approximately 56.5 percent report that tariffs have pushed up their price growth and their payment for inputs.”

He said the month-to-month increases in prices in the supply chain will hit consumers later on.