(Combating new crown pneumonia) Ministry of Commerce talks about China's CPI up 5.4% in January: prices will fall steadily
China News Service, Beijing, February 27 (Reporter Li Xiaoyu) Affected by the epidemic, the Chinese consumer price (CPI) rose by 5.4% year-on-year in January, the highest monthly increase since 2019. Wang Bin, deputy director of the Market Operations Department of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, said on the 27th that prices will fall steadily in the future, and there is no need to worry about large shortages of commodities in the later stages.
Wang Bin said at a news conference held on the same day that the CPI increase in January expanded. In addition to the low base in the same period last year, labor shortages in some areas since the outbreak and the increase in comprehensive costs such as transportation and epidemic prevention are also one of the reasons. For example, freight rates for freight have nearly doubled year-on-year, and freight for freight drivers has increased 5-7 times.
He said that with a series of policy measures such as tax cuts and fees reduction, resumption of production and poverty alleviation, and unblocked logistics to promote agricultural production, the weather gradually warmed, the production and supply of major agricultural products increased, and prices would fall steadily.
Wang Bin said that at present the country has sufficient reserves of grain, oil, meat, eggs and milk; the area of winter wheat is basically stable; the area of winter and spring vegetables in the field is more than 84 million mu; The sow inventory increased by 1.2% month-on-month, and increased for the fourth consecutive month.
He said that the recovery rate of China's emergency processing capacity of grain has now exceeded 70%, the opening rate of large chain supermarkets has reached 95%, and the opening rate of brand convenience stores has been around 80%; the resumption rate of e-commerce platform express delivery companies is also increasing. Transportation continues to flow smoothly, the daily necessities supply chain is gradually opened, and the production and sales docking is further smooth, which will provide a strong guarantee for enhancing the daily necessities market supply.
Wang Bin said that in general, China's daily necessities market has ample supply, and "there is no need to worry about a major shortage of commodities in the later period." (Finish)