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Minutes of last meeting show Monetary Policy Committee expects pass-through on industrialized goods of dollar’s recent appreciation against Brazilian real

03/25/2025

Minutes of the last meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (COPOM) show Central Bank officials expects the recent appreciation of the dollar against the real to affect industrial prices in the coming months, and tat higher food prices could contaminate other sectors.

“Regarding industrialized goods, the recent exchange rate movement has pressured prices and margins, already reflected in wholesale price increases, suggesting further pass-through to retail prices in the coming months,” the document states.

COPOM also noted that “food prices remain elevated and are likely to spread to other prices in the medium term due to significant inertial mechanisms within the Brazilian economy.”

In terms of service prices, the committee observed that they exhibit greater inertia, staying above the level compatible with meeting the target, and “accelerated in the most recent observations within a context of a positive gap.”

Overall, the short-term inflation outlook remains challenging, according to the committee. “It was highlighted in the short-term analysis that, if the reference scenario projections materialize, the twelve-month accumulated inflation will remain above the upper limit of the target tolerance range for six consecutive months, starting from January this year,” the minutes read.

COPOM reiterated that, “with the June inflation this year, it would constitute a failure to meet the target under the new framework of the target regime.”

Last week, COPOM raised the benchmark interest rates to 14.25% from 13.25% per annum and indicated a forthcoming increase of a smaller magnitude.

In the minutes, COPOM emphasized its decision to communicate three key points during last week’s meeting: that the monetary tightening cycle is not yet over, that the next increase would be of a smaller magnitude, and to indicate only the direction of the next move.

“The Committee, in its communication, chose to combine three signals regarding the conduct of monetary policy, should the expected scenario be confirmed,” the minutes state.

“Firstly, it judged that, given the adverse scenario for inflation dynamics, it was appropriate to indicate that the cycle is not over,” it continues.

“Secondly, due to the inherent lags in the ongoing monetary cycle, the Committee also deemed it appropriate to communicate that the next move would be of a smaller magnitude.”

Finally, it states that “furthermore, given the high uncertainty, it opted to indicate only the direction of the next move.”

In the minutes, COPOM also highlighted that a scenario of unanchored expectations for longer terms makes the inflation convergence scenario more challenging, which “requires greater monetary restraint for a longer period than would have been appropriate otherwise.”

According to the minutes, “the inflation convergence scenario becomes more challenging with unanchored expectations for longer terms and requires greater monetary restraint for a longer period than would have been appropriate otherwise.”

In the document, the committee also noted that inflation expectations measured by different instruments and collected from various groups of agents continued to rise “across all terms” and indicate additional unanchoring. According to the committee, this scenario makes the inflation outlook “more adverse.”

“The unanchoring of inflation expectations is a common concern among all committee members and must be addressed. It was emphasized that environments with unanchored expectations increase the cost of disinflation in terms of economic activity,” the document describes. “Looking ahead, the Committee will monitor the pace of economic activity, fundamental in determining inflation, particularly service inflation; the exchange rate pass-through to inflation, following a period of greater exchange rate volatility; and inflation expectations, which have shown additional unanchoring and are determinants for future inflation behavior,” it continued.

“It was emphasized that inflationary pressures remain adverse, such as the positive output gap, higher current inflation, and more unanchored inflation expectations,” COPOM also wrote.

The COPOM minutes also highlighted that data from recent months indicate signs of an “incipient moderation of growth,” but stressed that caution should still be exercised in drawing conclusions about economic activity.

In the document, COPOM pointed out that the baseline scenario involves an economic activity slowdown and that this movement is part of the transmission process of interest rate hikes and “a necessary element for inflation convergence to the target.”

“The Committee will continue to monitor economic activity and emphasizes that cooling aggregate demand is an essential element of the process of rebalancing supply and demand in the economy and convergence of inflation to the target,” it highlighted in the minutes.

Thus, the committee emphasized that these signs of incipient moderation align with its baseline scenario and further reinforced “that some more recent indicators, such as services, industry, or employed population, have indicated growth moderation after extraordinary resilience in the labor market and economic activity.”

COPOM then highlighted that the seasonally adjusted GDP grew by 0.2% in the last quarter of the previous year compared to growth of 1.3% in the second quarter and 0.7% in the third. “On the same comparative basis, on the side of aggregate demand, there was a reduction in household consumption after a sequence of thirteen consecutive increases,” the minutes highlighted.

In emphasizing the need for caution in conclusions about activity, the committee highlighted elements from the past, present, and future. In terms of the past, COPOM pointed out that the data are subject to revisions and seasonal effects. In the previous minutes from the January meeting, the committee noted that the data at the time were high-frequency and required caution in analysis due to seasonality and revisions.

For the present, the committee highlighted that there are “contemporary mixed data that are not unanimous in one direction.” For the future, COPOM highlighted that a “strong agricultural growth in the first quarter with possible repercussions for other sectors” is expected.

The minutes also addressed perception data, such as confidence indicators and credit sentiment surveys. COPOM highlighted that they suggest a greater slowdown than observed in objective data. “Moreover, the coincident objective data have shown mixed results depending on the sector or survey,” the document pointed out.

The committee also noted a marginal reduction in the employed population, but within a scenario of low unemployment and high earnings. “Even though recent data suggest some moderation, the labor market remains heated.”

*By Alex Ribeiro and Gabriel Shinohara, Valor — São Paulo and Brasília

Source: Valor International

https://valorinternational.globo.com/
Ministers Rui Costa (Chief of Staff), Paulo Teixeira (Agrarian Development), and Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture) met to finalize proposals to be presented to President Lula this Friday

01/24/2025


The Brazilian government’s top officials are working to address President Lula’s demand for urgent measures to curb rising food prices. However, with limited fiscal room for increased public spending and market concerns over potential interventionist actions, finding effective short-term solutions has proven challenging. Within the Planalto Palace, the seat of the federal government, there is greater certainty about what not to do than clarity on actionable steps.

On Thursday (23), rumors that the government’s plan might involve fiscal-impact measures, such as subsidies to boost popularity, created turbulence in financial markets. That same day, ministers Rui Costa (Chief of Staff), Paulo Teixeira (Agrarian Development), and Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture) met to finalize proposals to be presented to Mr. Lula this Friday. President Lula recently urged his cabinet to expedite the creation of a plan to lower food costs, focusing on staples such as rice, beans, and meat, whose rising prices have fueled public dissatisfaction with his administration.

However, no announcements are expected in the coming days. This Friday’s meeting is expected to produce a draft plan to be discussed with private sector stakeholders and internally within the government. Formal measures could be unveiled only in the first week of February.

Finance Minister Fernando Haddad dismissed speculation that the government is considering subsidies or tax cuts to reduce food prices, calling the rumors “unfounded.”

“These rumors serve certain interests. There is no fiscal room for this, nor is it necessary, as this type of measure won’t solve the problem. Instead, we need to improve competition, the business environment, and our imports,” Mr. Haddad said.

He mentioned that one option under consideration is enhancing the portability of the Worker’s Food Program (PAT). Additionally, a stronger harvest in 2025 and the rise of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar are expected to help lower food prices.

“I believe we have room to improve the Worker’s Food Program. There’s regulatory space for the Central Bank to step in,” Mr. Haddad noted, referring to the program’s portability issues. “Although portability is legally established, it’s not functioning properly due to a lack of regulation by the Central Bank.”

Food expiration

Mr. Haddad suggested that proper regulation could lead to a reduction in food prices, including meals consumed outside the home.

“If you lower intermediary costs and eliminate the need for workers to sell their food credits, it could have a favorable impact on food prices,” he explained.

Government officials ruled out using imports or easing food expiration rules, as well as measures with significant budgetary impacts.

The idea of relaxing food expiration standards was proposed to Mr. Lula by the Brazilian Supermarket Association (ABRAS) last year. However, the government and President Lula, already facing communication and image crises, want to avoid giving the impression that they are allowing the sale of spoiled food to the population.

On this topic, Mr. Haddad remarked that ABRAS has the right to make suggestions, but these do not necessarily become public policies.

He also noted that projections by the Economic Policy Secretariat of the Finance Ministry point to a “strong harvest” in 2025, which should help reduce food prices. Additionally, the declining dollar is expected to provide relief.

This week, Edegar Pretto, president of the National Supply Company (CONAB), told reporters that the agency is developing a program to establish a network for affordable food supply. The initiative aims to map areas where low-income populations pay the highest prices for food and intervene to ensure fairer prices, particularly in urban outskirts.

However, this proposal was not discussed during the meeting between ministers Costa, Fávaro, and Teixeira.

The idea of importing staple foods has negative connotations for the government, particularly for Mr. Fávaro of the Ministry of Agriculture’s. Last year, amid high food inflation, Mr. Lula authorized rice imports to address a shortage caused by a disaster in Rio Grande do Sul. The measure faced legal challenges from producers, and the auction for rice imports was eventually canceled in June 2024 due to allegations of irregularities. Agriculture Policy Secretary Neri Geller was dismissed after it was revealed that a former aide, who co-owned a company with Mr. Geller’s son, was involved in the auction negotiations.

Mr. Fávaro remains cautious and plans to consult the meat sector to explore viable solutions. Key industry representatives, however, have yet to be invited for discussions. As for rice, one government expert noted that little can be done until the harvest begins in March, which could help bring prices down.

With limited fiscal and political room for action, the measures under consideration may not deliver the immediate impact Mr. Lula seeks.

A senior Agriculture Ministry official remarked, “There’s no magic trick or rabbit to pull out of a hat,” emphasizing that Brazil operates as a market economy.

The ministry has reiterated in discussions with the Planalto Palace that there is no food shortage and that Brazil is a net exporter of nearly all agricultural products, with the exception of wheat.

In ongoing talks, some have pointed to the exchange rate as a key driver of rising food prices. Increased purchasing power among Brazilians is also cited as a factor. Some government officials believe the country’s large-scale soybean production reduces the availability of land for staple crops, driving up food costs. However, Agriculture Ministry representatives dismiss this as an “ideological perspective.”

*By Fabio Murakawa, Renan Truffi, Rafael Walendorff e Ruan Amorim — Brasília

Source: Valor International

https://valorinternational.globo.com/