Spillovers to the euro area from recent negative inflation in China

The decrease in euro area import prices since March 2023 has been associated with the normalisation of global supply chains amid the re-opening of the Chinese economy. Meanwhile, Chinese producer price inflation has been negative for some time, mainly driven by declining Chinese commodity prices and other China-specific factors. Lower producer prices have put downward pressure on China’s export prices and, in turn, on euro area import prices. Economic developments in China also affect euro area import prices indirectly, given China’s important role in the global demand for commodities and as a supplier of intermediate and capital goods to the rest of the world. Empirical evidence from a structural VAR analysis points to tangible spillovers to euro area import prices from Chinese demand and supply shocks, both during the surge in import prices in 2021-22 and in the subsequent plunge in 2023. The magnitude of the estimated disinflationary impact of falling Chinese producer/export prices on euro area HICP inflation is more limited, as euro area consumer price developments also depend on many other factors. JEL Classification: E31, F41