Summary of opinions from the Bank of Japan's July meeting: One member stated that developments in the Middle East, increased demand related to artificial intelligence, and a weaker yen are all driving up prices.

Japan June seasonally unadjusted current account: deficit ¥92.3 bln, versus forecast surplus ¥1,512.0 bln and prior surplus ¥3,968.3 bln.

Japan seasonally adjusted bank lending rose 5.4% YoY in July, down from 5.7% previously.

Japan's seasonally adjusted annualized bank lending rate was 5.4% in July, down from 5.70% previously.

Japan's unadjusted current account for June was -92.3 billion yen, compared to a forecast of 1,512 billion yen and a previous reading of 3,968.3 billion yen.

1. According to information obtained by China News Service from banks, real estate agencies, and other sources, mortgage rates below 3% are exclusive offers from a few foreign banks in certain regions. Currently, the mainstream mortgage rate nationwide remains stable in the range of 3.0% to 3.1%. 2. According to Jiaolian Information, last Friday, major steel mills in East and North China lowered their coking coal purchase prices by 50-55 yuan/ton. The third round of coking coal price reductions has been fully implemented, with a cumulative decrease of 150-165 yuan/ton so far. 3. Data from the China Iron and Steel Association shows that in late July 2026, the steel inventory of key steel enterprises was 16.28 million tons, a decrease of 1.85 million tons, or 10.2%, compared to the previous ten-day period. Key steel enterprises produced a total of 20.51 million tons of crude steel, with an average daily output of 1.864 million tons, a decrease of 7.5% compared to the previous ten-day period. Based on this, it is estimated that the national daily crude steel output in this ten-day period was 2.52 million tons, a decrease of 7.5% compared to the previous ten-day period. 4. According to data from SteelHome e-commerce, the total urban inventory this week was 10.0792 million tons, an increase of 116,000 tons (+1.16%) compared to last week. The total inventory of construction steel this week was 5.7552 million tons, an increase of 73,700 tons (+1.30%) compared to last week. The total inventory of hot-rolled coil this week was 2.2509 million tons, an increase of 33,500 tons (+1.51%) compared to last week. 5. Data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that private exporters reported sales of 238,000 tons of soybeans to China for delivery in the 2026/2027 marketing year. 6. According to an announcement from the National Grain Trade Center, entrusted by China Grain Reserves Corporation Oils & Fats Co., Ltd., a competitive bidding transaction of 516,000 tons of imported soybeans will be organized at 13:30 on August 12, 2026, at the National Grain and Material Reserves Bureau Grain Trade Coordination Center and the connected provincial (autonomous region, municipality) National Grain Trade Centers. 7. China's gold reserves stood at 76.08 million ounces (approximately 2,366.353 tons) at the end of July, an increase of 640,000 ounces (approximately 19.91 tons) month-on-month. The People's Bank of China has increased its gold reserves for the 21st consecutive month. 8. According to the Securities Times, the resumption of production at the Zhenkouli lithium mine in Yifeng County, Jiangxi Province, and the Jianxiawo lithium mine in Fengxin County, has attracted much attention. "Currently, the public consultation phase of the project's environmental impact assessment report and public participation statement was completed on August 7th, and will be reviewed after submission."