(Reuters) - Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Austan Goolsbee said Friday's inflation data was a bit better than expected and helps give him comfort that inflation is on path to 2%, adding that he still expects the Fed's policy rate to be "a fair bit" lower in 12 to 18 months than it is today. 

Still, he said, "there is a question mark that is coming from policy uncertainty," Goolsbee told CNBC, including over the impact of tariffs that President Donald Trump says he will impose on trading partners like Mexico and Canada as soon as Saturday. "If it affects prices, it affects us.. our signal is getting a little muddied, when things are happening that drive up prices."