Arizona Democrats' claim about GOP trade policy and rising grocery prices doesn't add up

Professor of Economics Bart Hobijn says the Consumer Price Index may be a better way to measure supermarket cost trends.

The Arizona Democratic Party shared a post on Facebook that said, "Grocery prices in AZ have seen a 12% spike since last year thanks to Republican trade policy." The Arizona Republic fact-checked the social post and found 4.2% is actually the increase in grocery prices. Professor of Economics Bart Hobijn, who was interviewed for the story, says the Consumer Price Index may be a better way to measure supermarket cost trends.

In this article published Nov. 24, 2019, on The Arizona Republic:

The CPI data is based on a much larger set of price quotes and a more extensive basket of goods.

– Bart Hobijn, professor of economics