Czech Watch - 22 January 2002

CNB bank board yesterday discussed monetary policy issues on its extraordinary meeting. Bank board members decided to intervene on the FX market against the koruna a to lower its interest rates by 25 basis points. The key two-week repo rate is now 4.50%. The koruna fell from 31.75 CZK/EUR to 32.30 CZK/EUR as a reaction on the fact that CNB begun the extraordinary meeting. After interventions the koruna slipped to 32.65 CZK/EUR. Although CNB governor Zdenek Tuma warned that further interventions could not be ruled out, the koruna returned to the appreciation trend and strengthened to 32.30 CZK/EUR.

Export prices decreased by 0.6%, month-on-month, and 2.8%, year-on-year. Import prices dropped by 0.9%, m-o-m, and 8.0%, y-o-y. The most significant decrease of import prices than export prices led to an improvement of terms of trade by 5.7%, y-o-y.

The Hungarian central bank decided to cut its key deposit interest rate by 50 basis points on its yesterday's meeting. It justified they decision by the fact that lower interest rate is consistent with the inflation target for the end of 2002 (4.5% ± 1%).

Industrial production in Euroland dropped by 0.8%, month-on-month, and 4.3%, year-on-year, in November. The figures are slightly better that market expectations (-1.0%, month-on-month).

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