CHINA LEAVES LENDING BENCHMARKS UNCHANGED FOR 11TH MONTH IN APRIL

China on Monday left benchmark loan prime rates (LPRs) unchanged for the 11th consecutive month in ​April, in line with market expectations.

Solid economic growth ‌at the start of the year and a pick-up in inflation reduced the need for fresh monetary easing to support the broader economy.

It kept the one-year LPR at 3.00% and five-year ​LPR at 3.50%.

In a Reuters survey of 20 market participants ⁠conducted last week, all participants predicted no change to either ​of the two rates.

The Chinese economy's 5.0% annual growth pace in ​the first quarter sits at the top of its full-year target range of 4.5%-5.0%, highlighting a resilience that sets it apart from much of Asia, ​helped by ample strategic oil reserves and a diversified energy ​mix.

China's factory-gate prices rose for the first time in more than three years ‌in ⁠March, in an early sign that the war in Iran is feeding cost pressures into the world's second-largest economy.

2026-04-20T01:53:35Z