China News Agency, Sao Paulo, May 4 (Reporter Mo Chengxiong) The Central Bank of Brazil released a "Focus Survey" report on the 4th local time. According to the global spread of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, Brazilian financial institutions lowered their economic growth and inflation expectations this year.

  The report compiles the opinions of more than 100 analysts from major financial institutions in Brazil. In the report, analysts lowered Brazil's economic growth forecast for this year from minus 3.34% to minus 3.76%. However, analysts raised next year's economic growth forecast to 3.2% from the previous 3%.

  Earlier, the Brazilian government had lowered its Brazil economic growth forecast from 2.1% to 0.02% this year. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund recently predicted that Brazil's economy will shrink by 5% and 5.3% this year.

  Analysts also lowered Brazil's inflation forecast for this year from the previous 2.2% to 1.97%, for the first time below 2%. Next year's inflation forecast will be reduced to 3.3% from the previous 3.4%. Both of these inflation data are lower than the median of 4% and 3.75% of the inflation rate control targets set by the Brazilian government this year and next.

  As for the benchmark interest rate, analysts believe that the Brazilian central bank will cut interest rates again by 50 basis points at the interest rate meeting that ends on the 6th of this month, reducing Brazil's benchmark interest rate from the current 3.75% to 3.25%. At another interest rate meeting in mid-June, Brazil's benchmark interest rate will be reduced to 2.75%. However, by the end of next year, Brazil's benchmark interest rate will increase to 3.75%.

  As for the exchange rate, analysts predict that by the end of this year, the exchange rate between the Brazilian real and the US dollar will depreciate from the previously estimated 4.8 to 1 to 5 to 1. By the end of next year, the exchange rate will rise to 4.75 to 1.

  In terms of foreign trade, analysts predict that Brazil ’s foreign trade surplus will increase from 37.65 billion US dollars to 42 billion US dollars this year. Next year, the foreign trade surplus will also reach 42 billion US dollars, higher than the previous estimate of 35.5 billion US dollars.

  Analysts also predicted that Brazil ’s foreign direct investment this year will fall from the previously estimated US $ 72 billion to US $ 70 billion. Next year, foreign direct investment will remain at 80 billion US dollars. (Finish)