As Prices Rise Across Supply Chains, Will Inflation Come for You Too?

There’s an underappreciated side effect of all the disruptions across global supply chains: the cost of producing and distributing everything from furniture and foam to cars and machinery is rising. While that has thrown off the plans of companies, the effect on consumer wallets is much more subtle and uneven — for now.

In the U.S., 3M Co. has pointed to rising freight costs to ship its goods while Mattel Inc. has said plastic is more expensive. In China, the cost of products like furniture are going up because chemicals and metals for foam are rising. Some toy wholesalers in the country have raised prices by as much as 15%. Factory gate prices have been edging up there too.