Overview
- The People’s Bank of China held its one-year loan prime rate at 3.00% and its five-year LPR at 3.50% for the June fixing.
- All 20 participants in a Reuters poll correctly forecast no change to either rate as markets evaluated the impact of last month’s cut.
- The one-year LPR underpins the pricing of most corporate and household loans in China, while the five-year rate serves as the benchmark for mortgage rates.
- May’s 10 basis point reduction marked Beijing’s first rate cut since October 2024 and aimed to cushion the economy against the effects of Sino-U.S. trade tensions.
- Major commercial banks trimmed their deposit rates to protect net interest margins amid the central bank’s monetary policy adjustments.