China's central bank follows U.S. Fed in keeping rates steady as tariff threats pressure yuan

China kept its key lending rates unchanged on Thursday, as Beijing juggles propping up growth and stabilizing its currency amid mounting trade frictions.

The People's Bank of China kept the 1-year loan prime rate at 3.1% and the 5-year LPR at 3.6%, where they have been since a quarter-percentage-point cut in October.

The rate decision follows the U.S. Federal Reserve's move to hold benchmark interest rates. Fed officials, however, indicated likely half a percentage point of rate cuts through 2025.

China's LPRs — normally charged to banks' best clients — are calculated monthly based on designated

commercial lenders' proposed rates submitted to the PBOC. The 1-year LPR influences corporate and most household loans in China, while the 5-year LPR serves as a benchmark for mortgage rates.

The PBOC has kept its 7-day rate, the country's main policy rate, steady at 1.5% since a cut in October, as the central bank defends the yuan that faces downward pressure amid threats of higher tariffs.

China's top officials have pledged to ramp up monetary easing measures this year, including interest rate cuts "at appropriate times," as Beijing has set an ambitious growth target of "around 5%."

While the cuts are yet to materialize, analysts anticipate any policy measures by the PBOC are likely to hinge on U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policy moves.

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