Analysts cut Mexico's 2025 growth forecast to 0.5%

          MEXICO CITY, April 1 (Reuters) - Private sector analysts
expect the Mexican economy to grow just 0.5% this year, a drop
from their February forecast of 0.81%, a Mexican central bank
survey showed Tuesday.
    Analysts expect Mexico's benchmark interest rate to end the
year slightly lower, at 8.0%, instead of the 8.25% from their
prior forecast. Their inflation forecast stood almost flat.
    The survey polled 42 analysts and was taken from March 18 to
March 27, amid threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose
tariffs on imports from Mexico, which threaten to strain
Mexico's economy.

    The values shown are medians.
                               February       March
 Inflation, end year pct
 2025                            3.71          3.70
 2026                            3.70          3.70
 Core inflation, end year
 2025                            3.75          3.76
 2026                            3.63          3.64
 Economic growth, annual
 2025                            0.81          0.50
 2026                            1.70          1.60
 Peso-dollar rate, end yr
 2025                           20.85         20.80
 2026                           21.36         21.30
 Interbank lending rate
 2025                            8.25          8.00
 2026                            7.50          7.50

 (Reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez, Editing by Natalia
Siniawski)