Economics

Brazil Central Bank Warns of Persisting Inflation, Rate Hike

  • Central bank’s Serra says there’s very high amount of stimulus
  • December inflation +1.35% m/m +4.52% y/y: statistics agency
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Brazil’s central bank said inflation pressures could persist in the beginning of the year, eventually leading to an interest rate hike, after a report showed consumer prices surged in December by the most since 2003.

While reaffirming that a record-low rate of 2% is adequate for now, Monetary Policy Director Bruno Serra said Brazil shouldn’t have such a level of monetary stimulus in normal circumstances, when the economic impact of the pandemic subsides. Inflation jumped 1.35% in December from the month prior, topping all estimates in a Bloomberg survey, the nation’s statistics bureau reported earlier on Tuesday.