China left benchmark lending rates unchanged on Thursday for the sixth consecutive month in November, matching market expectations.
The steady loan prime rate (LPR) fixings underscore the central bank’s reduced urgency to deliver additional monetary easing in the wake of a trade truce between Beijing and Washington, even as October economic data pointed to signs of a slowdown.
The one-year loan prime rate was kept at 3.0%, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 3.5%.
In a Reuters survey of 23 market participants conducted this week, all participants predicted no change to either of the two rates.
U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed with President Xi Jinping last month to trim tariffs on China in exchange for Beijing cracking down on the illicit fentanyl trade, resuming U.S. soybean purchases and keeping rare earths exports flowing.
