Consumers shop for groceries at a supermarket in Qingzhou, China, on June 12, 2024.
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BEIJING — China’s consumer price inflation rose 0.2% in June from a year ago, missing expectations, while producer prices fell in line with forecasts, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Wednesday.
China’s consumer price index is expected to rise 0.4% year-on-year in June, according to a Reuters poll.
The producer price index, which measures factory prices, fell 0.8% from a year ago, in line with expectations.
Core CPI, which strips out more volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.6% year-on-year in June, slightly less than the 0.7% increase in the first six months of the year.
The risk of deflation has not disappeared in China. Domestic demand remains weak.
Zhiwei Zhang
Chief Economist, Pinpoint Asset Management
Pork prices rose 18.1% year-on-year in June, while beef prices fell 13.4%. Tourist prices rose 3.7% year-on-year in June, down 0.8% from May.
“The risk of deflation has not gone away in China. Domestic demand remains weak,” Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said in a note.
He added that China will rely on exports to support growth in the first half of the year.
The country is expected to report June trade figures on Friday.
Weak domestic demand in China is keeping inflation low, unlike in major economies like the US where prices remain high.