Macron said that it opposed the free trade agreement reached between the EU and MERCOSUR. On December 12th, local time, French President Macron, who was visiting Poland, said that he disagreed with the free trade agreement reached between the EU and MERCOSUR. Macron said that the impact of the agreement on the agricultural market caused widespread concern, and France would not sacrifice its agricultural sovereignty. On the same day, Macron also said that Europe must strengthen its investment in security, build a European defense base and reduce its strategic dependence on the outside world. The EU and MERCOSUR reached a trade agreement on December 6th. The Southern Common Market was established in 1991. At present, its members are Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia, of which the first four are founding members. The vast majority of goods among member countries are free to trade without tariffs, and a unified foreign tariff policy is implemented. It is understood that the trade agreement needs to be approved by at least 15 of the 27 EU member States, and it needs to be voted by the European Parliament before it can be approved. France, Poland and Italy opposed the agreement. (CCTV News)European members of NATO are considering increasing the proportion of military expenditure. On the 12th, several European officials reported that some European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are considering increasing the proportion of national defense expenditure in their gross domestic product (GDP), from the current 2% to 3%.Angola's national consumer prices rose by 28.41% year-on-year in November.
European Central Bank President Lagarde: Enterprises are curbing investment, exports are weak, and labor demand continues to weaken. The employment opportunities created are decreasing, so economic development should be strengthened, and the economic rebound is slower than expected.The European Central Bank predicts that inflation will decline in 2025, and the European Central Bank currently predicts that inflation will cool down slightly faster than predicted in September. The bank's latest forecast shows that the average inflation rate in 2024 and 2025 is 2.4% and 2.1% respectively, while the previous forecast is 2.5% and 2.2% respectively. After cutting interest rates by 25 basis points, the European Central Bank said in a statement: "The anti-inflation process is on the right track." The bank said: "Domestic inflation has declined slightly, but it is still at a high level, mainly because wages and prices in some industries are still adapting to the past inflation surge, but there is a great delay." The European Central Bank maintains its inflation forecast of 1.9% in 2026, and predicts that the average inflation rate in 2027 will be 2.1%.The rise in food prices has pushed the wholesale inflation in the United States to accelerate unexpectedly. The prospect of interest rate cuts next year is uncertain. The wholesale inflation rate in the United States unexpectedly rose in November, and the soaring egg price masked the moderate impact of price increases in other regions. According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday, the producer price index (PPI) rose by 0.4% month-on-month, the biggest increase since June, and economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected a median of 0.2%. PPI increased by 3% compared with the same period of last year, the biggest increase since the beginning of 2023. The core PPI excluding food and energy increased by 0.2% from the previous month and 3.4% from the same period of last year. The CPI report released on Wednesday showed that the core inflation rate in the United States remained firm for the fourth consecutive month. This series of data brought uncertainty to the outlook of prices and interest rates next year, especially when Trump threatened to raise import tariffs after taking office. Economists pay close attention to the PPI report because several of its breakdown data will affect the personal consumption expenditure price index (PCE) that the Federal Reserve is concerned about. Although PCE data will not be released before the Fed policy meeting next week, central bank officials will have a good understanding of the data according to CPI and PPI reports. The market generally expects the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 25 basis points next week, but the pace of interest rate cuts is expected to slow down next year.
Central Economic Work Conference: Keep the RMB exchange rate basically stable at a reasonable and balanced level. The Central Economic Work Conference was held in Beijing from December 11th to 12th. The meeting proposed to implement a moderately loose monetary policy. Give full play to the dual functions of the total amount and structure of monetary policy tools, reduce the RRR and interest rates in a timely manner, maintain sufficient liquidity, and match the scale of social financing and the growth of money supply with the expected goals of economic growth and overall price level. Keep the RMB exchange rate basically stable at a reasonable and balanced level. Explore and expand the macro-prudential and financial stability functions of the central bank, innovate financial instruments, and maintain the stability of the financial market.Market news: the agency said that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the United States jumped to the highest level in two months, but it was still at a low level.Central Economic Work Conference: Enhance people's sense of happiness and security, and implement employment support programs for key areas, key industries, urban and rural grassroots and small and medium-sized enterprises. The Central Economic Work Conference was held in Beijing from December 11 to 12. The meeting stressed that efforts should be made to ensure and improve people's livelihood and enhance people's sense of happiness and security. Implement employment support plans for key areas, key industries, urban and rural grassroots and small and medium-sized enterprises to promote the employment of key groups. Strengthen the protection of workers' rights and interests in flexible employment and new employment forms. We will implement policies to help industries and employment, ensure that large-scale return to poverty does not occur, and ensure the basic livelihood of people in need. Promote the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education and solidly promote the expansion of high-quality undergraduate courses. Implement the medical and health foundation project and formulate policies to promote fertility. Develop community-supported home-based care for the aged and expand inclusive care for the aged. Adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao experience" in the new era and strengthen the public security system. (Xinhua News Agency)