China’s consumer inflation eased last month, data released on Tuesday showed, while producer prices remained in deflation. The consumer price index (CPI) rose by 0.7 per cent in March from a year earlier, down from 1 per cent growth in February, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This was below expectations, with CPI having been expected to rise by 1 per cent last month, according to Chinese financial data provider Wind. After China’s CPI grew by 2 per cent overall last year, Beijing set a target of around 3 per cent growth for 2023. {chart} Meanwhile, the producer price index (PPI), which reflects the ... (full story)

China’s consumer inflation slowed in March despite a pickup in economic activity, while producer prices contracted further. The consumer price index rose 0.7% last month from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said Tuesday, down from 1% in February and missing economists’ expectations for it to stay flat in a Bloomberg poll. Producer prices dropped 2.5% in March, following a 1.4% decline in the previous month and in line with economists’ expectations. The figures suggest domestic demand has been weak even though the economy is recovering post-Covid. More supportive policies may be needed for the ... (full story)