Business
Bessent says Argentina peso bet was ‘homerun deal’
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said his risky US gamble on Argentina’s currency has paid off.
Bessent said American financial support had been repaid and the US no longer held any Argentine pesos in its exchange stabilisation fund.
The US had purchased the then-plunging currency last year in an effort to stave off further turmoil and boost the party of President Javier Milei, a key ally of President Donald Trump, in the run-up to national midterm elections.
The move sparked criticism from Democrats, who accused Bessent of risking taxpayer money on a country with a long history of financial turmoil.
In the end, Bessent said the manoeuvre had been a success.
“Stabilising a strong American ally – and making tens of millions in profit for Americans – is an America First homerun deal,” he wrote in an announcement on social media.
When the US moved to intervene in September, people were dumping the peso, mindful of the shocks they had experienced after previous elections and rattled by signs that Milei’s party might experience an upset in the mid-terms.
Bessent promised to do “what was needed” to stave off further drops in September. He announced a month later that the US had purchased pesos and agreed to extend a swap line to Argentina, allowing the country to exchange pesos for dollars.
The move helped to halt the falls in the currency, which saw further gains after Milei’s party clinched a landslide victory in the mid-term elections, though it has drifted lower more recently.
Argentina’s central bank said it settled the swap line in December. It ultimately traded just $2.5bn in pesos for dollars of a possible $20bn, according to a government report on deal.
The report said the US had also separately provided $872m in support involving reserves held at the IMF.
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that transaction.
“Getting your money back is a straight forward definition of a success,” said Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, even if he said tens of millions in profit was “small change” given the sums involved.
But he said big challenges continue to face the Argentine economy, given how much it spent last year from its reserves to prop up the currency.
“It’s been a short term success – Bessent got his money back,” he said. “I do remain worried that the Argentines are relying too heavily on the expectation that Secretary Bessent will ride to the rescue … and therefore aren’t showing enough urgency in their plans to rebuild their own reserves.”
Business
Indian electronic firms seek PLI 2.0, eye 30–35% share in global mobile production by FY31 – The Times of India
With the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme now over, India’s electronics industry has pitched a fresh expansion plan, seeking continued government support as it eyes a strong jump in manufacturing and exports over the next five years. During discussions with the ministry of electronics and IT (MeitY), the industry said that by FY31, India could capture 30–35% of global mobile production. This would take annual output to $110–130 billion, with exports estimated at $55–70 billion. At present, according to ET, India accounts for about 15% of global mobile phone production, with manufacturing output exceeding $64 billion. Industry executives said the current production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme has played a key role in this growth. With the scheme set to end on March 31, companies are pushing for a new version to keep the momentum going. Talks are underway on a proposed PLI 2.0 scheme, which is likely to run from 2026 to 2031. Government officials said a new incentive programme is being considered, though details have not yet been finalised. The industry has also shared a roadmap with the government to meet production and export targets by FY31. “With a strong foundation, we have an opportunity to achieve 30-35% of global mobile production in the next five years,” Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), told ET. “To realise this ambition, it is critical to sustain the current momentum and continue investments. We are actively engaging with the government to shape the next phase of this growth journey.” Industry players said increasing India’s global share would help strengthen the supply chain, deepen the manufacturing ecosystem and support research and development at scale. One executive said scale is more important than value addition alone for long-term sustainability. The government is also examining how much domestic value addition should be required for incentives and how exports can be increased without breaching World Trade Organization norms. Experts said the growth in production will depend largely on exports, as domestic demand is expected to weaken. India’s smartphone market could shrink by more than 13% this year due to rising memory costs, which may push device prices up by 15–40%, according to an earlier report. Data from the commerce ministry showed smartphone exports rose 47.4%, from $20.44 billion in 2024 to $30.13 billion in 2025. The United States accounted for $19.7 billion, or 65% of total exports. Meanwhile, China’s smartphone exports fell from $132.6 billion to $120.6 billion during the same period, with shipments to the US declining sharply due to fentanyl-related tariffs. India’s tariff advantage in the US market has narrowed after the US Supreme Court struck down sweeping global tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. China continues to have an advantage due to its strong supply chain and advanced manufacturing capabilities, while India is still developing these.
Business
Duty on diesel exports hiked from Rs 21.5/L to Rs 55.5 – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Govt on Saturday significantly increased export duties on diesel and aviation turbine fuel to dissuade oil refiners from exporting these fuels and to ensure adequate availability in the domestic market amid ongoing tensions in West Asia. The ministry of finance issued a series of notifications hiking the export duty on diesel by more than 150% – from Rs 21.5 per litre to Rs 55.5 per litre – with immediate effect. The levy on ATF, or jet fuel, was increased from Rs 29.5 per litre to Rs 42 per litre. The export duty on petrol continues to be nil. Under the revised structure, the special additional excise duty on high-speed diesel has been raised to Rs 24 per litre, while the road and infrastructure cess now stands at Rs 36 per litre, which means a large chunk will now flow to the Centre. Govt said these duties are not meant to boost revenue, but to stop fuel exporters from taking undue advantage of price differences. The Centre had, on March 27, imposed an export duty of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on ATF in a bid to check windfall gains, as fuel was in short supply in international markets due to a squeeze on energy supplies amid the military conflict and export curbs imposed by China. It had also slashed excise duty on diesel and petrol to shield consumers and oil companies from the impact of high crude prices. Retail prices of automobile fuels in India have not increased despite high volatility in the international crude market, while only a small part of the international price pressure has been passed on to domestic flights. The windfall tax on exports of diesel and ATF helps the Centre partly offset the impact of the excise duty cut. On March 27, govt had estimated revenue gains from export duties at around Rs 1,500 crore in a fortnight. The further hike in export duties is likely to lead to higher revenue gains. In a statement, the ministry of petroleum had said, “At a time when international diesel prices have surged sharply, the levy is designed to disincentivise exports and ensure that refinery output is directed first tow-ards meeting domestic demand.“
Business
NI fuel protesters ‘stand in solidarity’ with Irish counterparts
A convoy of vans, lorries, tractors, and even a limousine took part in a slow moving protest around the town centre on Saturday afternoon.
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