Charting the Global Economy: Snarled Supply Chains, Weaker Data

Retail sales in the U.S. softened while Japan avoided slipping into a recession, highlighting how the coronavirus remains an unrelenting headwind for the global recovery.

Supply-chain hiccups and shortages have driven up costs for companies, including those in Germany where two-thirds of firms say they’re passing on higher prices to customers. And other fresh data showed China’s economy slowed more than expected last month.