SAFE Data: China Banks Net FX Settlement +16 Billion USD in March 2026 — CNY Inflow Signal

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has released key data on foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks, along with cross-border receipts and payments data for March 2026.

Bank Foreign Exchange Settlement and Sales (March 2026):

• Settlement (banks buying FX): 273.6 billion USD (1,888.9 billion yuan)
• Sales (banks selling FX): 257.6 billion USD (1,778.6 billion yuan)
• Net settlement surplus: +16 billion USD — indicates net FX inflow, positive for CNY

Q1 2026 Cumulative:

• Total settlement: 766.4 billion USD (5,327.5 billion yuan)
• Total sales: 627.7 billion USD (4,360.6 billion yuan)
• Q1 net surplus: +138.7 billion USD

Cross-Border Receipts and Payments by Non-Banking Sectors (March 2026):

• Receipts: 823.9 billion USD
• Payments: 855.9 billion USD
• Q1 cumulative receipts: 2,205.5 billion USD; Payments: 2,119.9 billion USD (net inflow)

Source: State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) — Original Article