PANews reported on April 30th that, according to Jinshi News, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell stated at a press conference that although some voted against maintaining the accommodative tone in the recent monetary policy statement, he believes officials are not inclined to raise interest rates. Powell stated, "People aren't saying we need to raise rates now; it's more about whether the Fed should maintain a neutral stance on the policy outlook." Powell also indicated that monetary policy is likely within a neutral range for its impact on the economy. He said, "I think we're very close to the neutral rate, which is probably in the 3% to 4% range, while the current federal funds target rate range is 3.5% to 3.75%." He added, "If we need to raise rates, we'll signal it and raise rates, and vice versa."