The U.S. government produces data—a lot of data, from figures about the economy to steel to crops to commodity trading. And the partial federal shutdown has slowed the flow of data to a trickle, thanks to the closure of various agencies—even delaying releases after it ended.
That makes things difficult for the many people who depend on such numbers, including corporate executives, Federal Reserve policy makers, farmers and foreign-exchange traders. Already, about a dozen economic releases from the Commerce Department have been delayed, and data on gross domestic product and consumer spending due this week have also been postponed. Reports from the Agriculture and Treasury departments, along with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, also went dark. Some releases have been rescheduled following the end of the five-week shutdown on Jan. 25.
Here’s a list of the delayed (or soon-to-be-delayed) data releases, and some of the key pain points caused by the missing data.
| Data Release | Department | Status | Scheduled Release Date | Actual Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New home sales (Nov.) | Commerce/HUD* | Delayed | Dec. 27, 2018 | Jan. 31, 2019 |
| Steel imports (Nov.) | Commerce | Delayed | Dec. 27, 2018 | Feb. 6, 2019 |
| Advance trade/inventories (Nov.) | Commerce | Canceled | Dec. 28, 2018 | |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Dec. 28, 2018 | Feb. 1, 2019 |
| Construction spending (Nov.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 3, 2019 | Feb. 1, 2019 |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Jan. 4, 2019 | Feb. 5, 2019 |
| Factory orders (Nov.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 7, 2019 | Feb. 4, 2019 |
| International trade (Nov.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 8, 2019 | Feb. 6, 2019 |
| Wholesale inventories (Nov.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 10, 2019 | Feb. 1, 2019 |
| World agricultural supply and demand (Jan.) | Agriculture | Delayed | Jan. 11, 2019 | Feb. 8, 2019 |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Jan. 11, 2019 | Feb. 8, 2019 |
| Monthly budget (Dec.) | Treasury | Delayed | Jan. 11, 2019 | Feb. 13, 2019 |
| International capital flows (Nov.) | Treasury | Delayed | Jan. 16, 2019 | Jan. 31, 2019 |
| Business inventories (Nov.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 16, 2019 | Feb. 14, 2019 |
| Retail sales (Dec.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 16, 2019 | |
| Housing starts/permits (Dec.) | Commerce/HUD* | Delayed | Jan. 17, 2019 | |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Jan. 18, 2019 | Feb. 12, 2019 |
| Steel imports (Dec.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 25, 2019 | |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Jan. 25, 2019 | Feb. 15, 2019 |
| New home sales (Dec.) | Commerce/HUD* | Delayed | Jan. 25, 2019 | |
| Durable goods (Dec.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 25, 2019 | |
| Advance trade/inventories (Dec.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 29, 2019 | |
| GDP (4Q) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 30, 2019 | |
| Personal income and spending (Dec.) | Commerce | Delayed | Jan. 31, 2019 | |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Feb. 1, 2019 | Feb. 19, 2019 |
| Construction spending (Dec.) | Commerce | Pending | Feb. 1, 2019 | |
| Factory orders (Dec.) | Commerce | Pending | Feb. 4, 2019 | |
| International trade (Dec.) | Commerce | Delayed | Feb. 5, 2019 | |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Feb. 8, 2019 | Feb. 22, 2019 |
| Wholesale trade (Dec.) | Commerce | Pending | Feb. 8, 2019 | |
| World agricultural supply and demand (Feb.) | Agriculture | On Time | Feb. 8, 2019 | Feb. 8, 2019 |
| Monthly budget (Jan.) | Treasury | Delayed | Feb. 12, 2019 | March 5, 2019 |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Feb. 15, 2019 | Feb. 26, 2019 |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | Feb. 22, 2019 | March 1, 2019 |
| Commitments of traders (weekly) | CFTC | Delayed | March 1, 2019 | March 5, 2019 |
| Monthly budget (Feb.) | Treasury | Delayed | March 12, 2019 | March 22, 2019 |
*Department of Housing and Urban Development
World Agricultural Supply and Demand : Delayed
Farm Traders Get an Edge
In the absence of crucial government crop reports, the likes of Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., Bunge Ltd., Cargill Inc. and Louis Dreyfus Co., known collectively as the ABCDs, are tapping their wide networks and in-depth research to navigate markets. That’s giving them an edge, bringing back memories of when information didn’t travel as fast and they had a bigger advantage over rivals.
Commerce Data : Delayed
Fed's Job Becomes Tougher
Just when the Fed most needs fresh data to keep its policy in sync with the U.S. economy, the government shutdown is getting in the way. While policy makers have recently indicated they will take at least a pause from their quarterly pace of rate hikes, the lack of timely and comprehensive economic data makes it even more likely the Fed will do nothing for several months.
Commitments of Traders : Delayed
Flying Blind in FX
The last U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission positioning data covered the week through Dec. 18, meaning the most recent snapshot of currencies, commodities and financial contracts preceded last month’s Federal Reserve decision. The figures—typically unveiled each Friday—indicate whether speculators are potentially stretched and vulnerable to a reversal.
International Trade : Delayed
Steel Picture Gets Murky
The shutdown is adding a new layer of murkiness for analysts who are used to relying on customs and other data gathered by U.S. agencies to help form a clearer picture of the steel market. In particular, import data gives investors a better idea of how much U.S. market share the domestic steelmakers have. Boosting domestic capacity is a critical reason President Donald Trump last year instituted import tariffs on the metal.
International Trade : Delayed
Canada Stopped Releasing Data, Too
America’s northern neighbor is also missing a major report because of the shutdown. Canada’s statistics agency said it will stop releasing monthly merchandise trade data indefinitely. That’s because since 1990, the agency has been using U.S. figures to calculate exports to Canada’s biggest trading partner.
Retail Sales : Delayed
Shopping Data Missing at Key Time
Was it a gangbusters Christmas shopping season as forecasts and anecdotal evidence suggested? Were consumers making big discretionary purchases in addition to essential spending as they entered 2019, even as some surveys showed confidence was waning? The answers will have to wait, as December retail sales data are being delayed with the shutdown in effect.