Taiwan’s cbank holds rates steady

TAIPEI: Taiwan´s central bank left its policy rate unchanged on Thursday, saying inflation was expected to be mild against a backdrop of rising pressure on the trade and economic fronts.

"The U.S. (Federal Reserve) is planning a reduction of its balance sheet, while the (European Central Bank) is monitoring its assets buying plans. The trend of U.S. economic and trade policies, trade protectionism and geopolitics tensions will add to global economic uncertainties," it said in a statement. The central bank left the discount rate steady at 1.375 percent for the fifth consecutive quarterly meeting, as widely expected by analysts in a Reuters poll. It had cut the rate four times in a row from late 2015 to help lift the trade-reliant economy out of a mild recession. The trade-reliant economy has gained from the global tech boom and from a windfall of cash inflows from abroad that has boosted its stock market and currency.