Passersby are reflected on a stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo. — Reuters pic
WASHINGTON, March 3 ― The Group of Seven industrial powers are crafting a statement for their finance leaders to issue on countering the impact of the coronavirus, but for now it does not specifically call for new government spending or coordinated interest rate cuts by central banks, a G7 official with direct knowledge of the deliberations told Reuters today.
Global financial markets rallied sharply yesterday as central banks from Japan, Britain and France followed the US Federal Reserve in saying said they stood ready to support the global economy and the French finance minister promised “concerted action.”
In the statement, expected today or tomorrow, the G7 countries will pledge to work together to mitigate the damage to their economies from the fast-spreading epidemic, the source said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The language of the statement is subject to change as it is still under discussion, the source said.
The United States ― this year's G7 chair ― said the group's finance ministers and central bank governors will hold a conference call this morning to discuss measures to deal with the epidemic and its economic impact. ― Reuters