美聯儲將維持近零利率

Interest rates kept near zero

美聯儲將維持近零利率

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at the record-low level of near zero amid mounting fallout from the COVID-19-induced recession, and projected interest rates to remain at the current level through at least 2022.

由於新冠肺炎引發的經濟衰退造成的影響變得日益嚴重，美聯儲6月10日將基準利率維持在接近零的創紀錄低位不變，預計至少到2022年，利率都將維持在當前水平。

"The ongoing public health crisis will weigh heavily on economic activity, employment, and inflation in the near term, and poses considerable risks to the economic outlook over the medium term," the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed's policy-making body, said in a statement after concluding a two-day meeting.

美聯儲政策制定機構聯邦公開市場委員會在爲期兩天的會議結束後發表的一份聲明中說，目前的這場公共衛生危機將在短期內重壓經濟活動、就業和通脹，並對中期經濟前景構成相當大的風險。

In light of these developments, the committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 0.25%, the statement read.

鑑於上述事態的發展，委員會決定將聯邦基金利率維持在0-0.25%。

In a separate statement, the Fed projected Wednesday that the US economy will shrink by 6.5% in 2020, followed by a 5% gain next year.

美聯儲6月10日在另一份聲明中預測，2020年美國經濟將萎縮6.5%，2021年將增長5%。

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters that the economic projections were made with the general expectation that the economic recovery will begin in the second half of the year and last over the next couple of years.

美聯儲主席鮑威爾向記者表示，上述經濟預測是在普遍預期的情況下做出的，即經濟復甦將在今年下半年開始，並將持續數年。