Published March 30, 2017
Mexico's central bank says it has raised its benchmark interest rate by a half-point to 6.50 percent, in a bid to contain rising inflation.
The Bank of Mexico announced the hike from the previous 6.25 percent on Thursday, after the country recorded a 5.29 percent annual inflation rate in the first half of March. The bank's inflation goal is 3 percent.
The move came despite significant gains by Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar in recent months.
The peso had fallen as low as 22 to $1 in January, when U.S. President Donald Trump took office.
But on Thursday the peso closed around 18.70 to $1.
The bank said "despite the significant appreciation of the peso against the dollar ... uncertainty prevails in the international scene."
https://www.foxnews.com/world/mexico-raises-benchmark-interest-rate-to-6-50-percent