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Trump wants Musk's firms to thrive in US, says he won't pull subsidies
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Mint
25 minutes ago
- Mint
US yields reverse course to trade lower ahead of Fed, trade talks
Investors brace for Fed meeting, tariff deadline Labor market update, GDP data on deck next week Treasury refunding announcement could move bond market (Adds context, graphic, analyst comments; updates yields) NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices rose on Friday in a subdued trading session, as investors prepared for a data-heavy week, updates on U.S. trade talks and a Federal Reserve policy meeting. The U.S. central bank is expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its rate-setting meeting next week, but all eyes will be on Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks, as investors look for clues on whether rate cuts are on the horizon this year. A U.S. trade deal with Japan this week and expectations of a similar agreement with the European Union have eased market concerns ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline, as the prospect of lower-than-feared import duties is largely seen as softening their economic impact. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet Trump on Sunday in Scotland, after EU officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. Treasury yields, which move inversely to prices, were drifting higher earlier on Friday but changed direction over the course of the trading session, with no clear driver. "This week is one of those sleepy summer weeks that has very little to move Treasuries one way or the other and I think that's why you're seeing this slow move lower in yields," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth. On the U.S. economic front, the only data release on Friday was the preliminary June reading of Durable Goods Orders, which came in better than forecast, even though new orders for key U.S.-manufactured capital goods unexpectedly fell in June, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said. With fresh catalysts in short supply, the market earlier on Friday took its lead from Thursday's European Central Bank meeting, where policymakers kept interest rates steady and delivered a cautiously optimistic outlook on the economy, dimming hopes for further easing this year. "The ECB was nowhere as dovish as people expected and macro data hasn't been bad to say the least," said Slawomir Soroczynski, head of fixed income at Crown Agents Investment Management in London. Market risk appetite has remained intact despite Tesla's disappointing financial results earlier this week, added Soroczynski. U.S. stocks rose on Friday following record closes for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq on Thursday. Trump clashed with Powell during a rare presidential visit to the U.S. central bank on Thursday, but said he did not intend to fire him, as he has frequently suggested he would. On Friday, he said he got the impression that the head of the U.S. central bank might be ready to lower interest rates. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields declined by two basis points to 4.388%. Two-year yields, which more closely reflect expectations on monetary policy, were only marginally lower at 3.917%. Bond investors will get an update next week from the Treasury Department on its quarterly issuance plans. Analysts expect no changes to the auction sizes of notes and bonds at the July 30 refunding announcement, with the Treasury relying more heavily on Treasury bills to fund government budget deficits. However, the Treasury could expand the scope of its buyback program, which could be supportive for the long end of the Treasury yield curve. "If (Treasury Secretary Scott) Bessent doesn't meet the market's expectations for growing buybacks, a sharp selloff in Treasuries could ensue," said Ian Lyngen, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, in a note. On deck next week, in addition to the Fed's meeting, there will also be second-quarter gross domestic product data and July Non-Farm Payrolls. (Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Frances Kerry and Cynthia Osterman)


Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Trump's 50% tariff threat hits Brazilian chemical exports as US orders cancelled
Brazilian chemical exporters are seeing contracts cancelled after US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods starting 1 August, Reuters reported. Brazil exported about $2.4 billion worth of chemical products to the United States last year. Since the tariff threat, orders for some products including resins and compounds used to make fertilisers have been cancelled, said Andre Cordeiro, head of Brazilian chemical industry group Abiquim. 'These decisions are being made because people believe he will actually go ahead with the tariff,' Cordeiro told Reuters on Friday. He said one company had all of its US export contracts cancelled, while others lost parts of their orders. In some cases, exporters had already arranged financing before the cancellations. Cordeiro did not name the affected companies. The impact is not limited to direct chemical exports. 'No one produces coffee, even grains, without some kind of chemical product in the process,' he said. According to Cordeiro, chemical firms are also losing domestic sales to Brazilian companies that export to the US. He cited plywood manufacturers, who use chemicals for bonding and have also lost orders, and orange juice producers, who rely on chemical preservatives. Last year, 42% of Brazil's orange juice exports went to the US. Large firms such as Braskem and Dow Chemical may also be affected. Braskem has operations in the US, while Dow, which runs 10 plants in Brazil, exports silicon metal to the American market. Neither company commented when contacted by Reuters. Exxon Mobil, which also operates in Brazil, declined to comment. Abiquim says the tariffs are unjustified, pointing out that Brazil's chemical sector runs a $7.9 billion trade deficit with the United States.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Cryptic poser: Does your rival find you fit and proper for crypto biz?
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel MUMBAI: Amid the crypto frenzy fuelled by Trump and the digital asset making inroads, new players planning to set up shop in India are dealing with a curious rule: they need 'fit and proper' certificates-not from government agencies or any of financial market regulators , but from existing cryptocurrency service a regulatory void, judging the 'fit and proper' quality of a new applicant has been left to existing virtual digital asset (VDA) service providers (SPs). Some of the applicants are discovering that the rule, introduced early this year, not only runs into conflict of interests, but poses other complexities as cryptos are vulnerable to money laundering and cyber in most financial markets too insist on such a certificate to evaluate the integrity, ethical standing, and track record of new managers and entities. For instance, in safeguarding the interests of depositors and investors, persons applying for a banking license and intermediaries like stock brokers have to qualify as 'fit and proper'. But, here the assessment is done by the respective regulator ( RBI or Sebi )-and not by peers or other business and competing organisations in the case of VDAs, the rule stems from a January 2025 communique to VDA SPs from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). An agency under the ministry of finance, FIU is dedicated to curb money laundering and terror finance. VDASPs like crypto platforms exchanges, brokers, and custody service firms providing crypto wallets are "reporting entities" sharing information, as banks do, with the 'fit and proper' is one of the conditions a VDA SP must satisfy to register itself with FIU. Failure to register is in itself a non-compliance with the Prevention of Money Laundering to the January 2025 notification, one of the steps towards registration requires "fit and proper certificate from the FIU IND registered VDA SP(s), in all cases where the applicant VDA SP is into relationship/agreement (B2B/broker/other relationship etc) with the former (either ongoing/prospective/intended)."This widely-worded directive can be interpreted to mean that a new applicant (be it a crypto exchange or an intermediary) could require multiple certificates from different SPs. A custody provider may partner with multiple exchanges and intermediaries, while an exchange may draw liquidity from another to Purushottam Anand, advocate and founder of Crypto Legal , a Bengaluru-based blockchain and crypto-focused law firm, "The 'fit and proper' requirement effectively introduces a disqualification criterion for entities seeking registration as VDASP. Yet, it provides no defined parameters or standards for registered VDASPs to apply during their assessment. There is a complete lack of guidance on the manner, scope, or extent of scrutiny to be conducted by existing VDASPs. In the absence of clarity, new applicants may be compelled to disclose sensitive and confidential business information to potential competitors. Courts have consistently held that vague, arbitrary, and subjective conditions-particularly those introduced through delegated legislation-are legally untenable and liable to be struck down."The requirement may prove self-defeating where an applicant is compelled to seek certification from a competitor, said Harshal Bhuta, partner at the CA firm P. R. Bhuta & Co. "Moreover, obtaining such certification from several service providers may not be straightforward, given the recent cyberattacks and the liability associated with issuing such certificates. A more effective alternative would be for the government to provide recognition to Self-Regulatory Organisations (SROs) and authorise them to issue certificates," said the past one year, two Indian crypto exchanges lost substantial amounts in cyberattacks. And law enforcement authorities fear that cryptos are misused to move money across the border, bypassing banking channels. Coins withdrawn from an exchange wallet can be transferred to private wallets and other wallet owners in various jurisdictions. Recently, FIU advised platforms to keep a watch on transactions linked to persons in border areas. Data requests from the agency has also gone up, said an exchange official."The ministry has streamlined the registration process, which includes having an in-person meeting with the FIU-IND, submission of prescribed documents, etc. These requirements should be carefully looked into by applicants, especially the clause which requires the VDA-SP to furnish a 'fit and proper' certificate from FIU-IND registered VDA-SPs in all cases where the applicant VDA-SP is into a relationship with the former," said Raghav Bajaj, counsel, Khaitan & to FIU and the crypto industry lobby BharatWeb3 went unanswered till the time of going to press.