Price Data Overview - In March, CPI decreased by 0.4% month-on-month (previous value: -0.2%) and by 0.1% year-on-year (previous value: -0.7%), indicating a narrowing decline[2] - PPI also fell by 0.4% month-on-month (previous value: -0.1%) and by 2.5% year-on-year (previous value: -2.2%), showing an expanded decline[2] Key Influencing Factors - The decline in CPI was primarily driven by three factors: a 3.5% decrease in domestic gasoline prices due to falling international oil prices, which contributed approximately 0.12 percentage points to the CPI decline[2] - Food prices fell by 1.4% month-on-month, impacting CPI by about 0.24 percentage points, with significant drops in fresh vegetables (5.1%), pork (4.4%), and eggs (3.1%)[2] - Weak terminal consumption and industrial demand continued to exert downward pressure, with service prices slightly below historical levels[2] Future Price Trends - Moving forward, tariff impacts are expected to become a significant factor in price evolution, with supply and demand dynamics shifting[2] - The interplay between excess supply and weakening domestic demand will influence price stability, while tariff shocks may lead to lower prices through increased domestic supply[2] Policy Implications - Incremental policies to counter tariff impacts will be crucial, particularly in promoting consumption and stabilizing the real estate market[2] - The effectiveness of these policies will be key in determining future price trends[2] Risks and Challenges - Potential risks include a weakening real estate market, declining exports, and the possibility that incremental policies may not meet expectations[4] - The go-capacity policy may face tougher decisions, as the short-term pain from capacity reduction could be challenging for the domestic economy to absorb[2]

Inflation Trends - In February, China's Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased by 0.7% year-on-year, against a market expectation of a 0.4% decline, following a 0.5% increase in January[1] - The average CPI for January-February showed a slight decline of 0.1% compared to the same period last year, while December's CPI had a 0.1% increase[5] - Food prices fell by 1.3% year-on-year in January-February, compared to a 0.5% decline in December[5] Core CPI and PPI Analysis - The core CPI for January-February increased by 0.3% year-on-year, slightly down from a 0.4% increase in December[5] - The Producer Price Index (PPI) in February dropped by 2.2% year-on-year, slightly worse than the expected 2.1% decline and an improvement from a 2.3% drop in the previous month[9] - The prices of production materials decreased by 2.5% year-on-year, contributing approximately 1.86 percentage points to the overall PPI decline[9] Price Movements and Policy Implications - February's PPI saw a month-on-month decrease of 0.1%, following a 0.2% decline in January[10] - The government has set a CPI growth target of around 2% for 2025, down from 3% in 2024, indicating a shift in monetary policy focus[13] - The report emphasizes the importance of maintaining liquidity and aligning monetary supply growth with economic growth and price expectations[13]