Shortages skew inflation risks to the upside

Inflation is set to stay higher for longer than we previously envisaged due to surging energy prices and goods shortages. The boost from energy will go into reverse next year due to base effects and lower oil and gas prices. Goods shortages are worsening and will persist for some time given lean inventories, pandemic-related shutdowns in Asia, and strong demand for imported goods. These pressures should start to ease next year. But there is a risk that the shortages trigger a more persistent pick-up in price pressures, particularly when labour is also in short supply. Staff shortages are most pronounced in the US and intensifying rapidly in the UK and Canada. In all, while we expect inflation to ease back to below target in the next couple of years in Japan and Europe, it will settle at higher rates in the US.