Exclusive: Japan's Central Bank Leans Toward Avoiding Back-to-Back Rate Hike in October

Odaily News: According to foreign media reports, sources familiar with the matter revealed that Bank of Japan officials lean toward not implementing a rare back-to-back rate hike this month, but still keep the possibility of a rate hike as early as December on the table. The sources said that, absent any signs of a sudden rise in upside inflation risks, BOJ officials see no need for consecutive rate hikes. The central bank will carefully assess economic data to evaluate whether a new round of rate hikes can be launched at its December meeting.

The sources said the final policy decision at the October 30 meeting could still change at the last minute. To contain upside inflation risks, the policy board led by Governor Kazuo Ueda raised interest rates to 1.25% last month. This followed pressure from Bessent for Japan to continue advancing policy normalization and help strengthen the yen. (Jinshi)