22
May
Japan’s core consumer prices have dropped to a four-year low, intensifying concerns over stagnant economic growth but also setting the stage for a bumpy recovery. Official data showed core inflation, which strips out volatile fresh food prices, fell sharply as weak domestic demand and lingering pandemic-era subsidies pushed prices lower. The protracted period of deflationary pressure highlights the problems that the Bank of Japan still faces in achieving its elusive inflation goals on a sustainable basis. But economists warn this period of cooling is probably a temporary lull before an impending economic storm. A huge global energy shock is the…
