The week in charts: Trump tariffs, Vodafone Idea's second bailout, PMI cheer
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. US President Donald Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on nearly all US trade partners on Wednesday, including a 26% tariff on India. Meanwhile, the government offered another lifeline to debt-ridden Vodafone Idea by converting some of the company's dues into equity.
Unveiling his ‘Liberation Day’ reciprocal tariffs, US President Donald Trump announced a baseline tariff of 10% on all US imports, with specific reciprocal tariffs on nearly all of its trade partners, effective 9 April. India has been slapped with a 26% reciprocal tariff, lower than many Asian peers such as Vietnam (46%) and China (34%). Higher reciprocal tariffs on India’s emerging market peers could give the country a competitive advantage.
In a major breather for India, pharmaceutical products, which account for nearly 12% of its exports to the US, are exempt. Also read: Many countries will retaliate against Trump’s tariffs. India must not.
India’s electric vehicle battery makers may suffer due to the 25% US tariffs on all EV battery imports announced last week. Foreign companies could dump cheap batteries in the country, just as local companies such as Amara Raja, and Reliance Industries will invest in building battery plants, Mint reported. Experts warned that while India’s EV market could absorb the excess supply, it nonetheless posed a threat to local firms.
Most EVs use lithium-ion batteries. In FY24, India imported lithium-ion cells worth about $3 billion, up 135% since FY20. 48.99%: That will be the government’s stake in debt-ridden Vodafone Idea after it agreed to convert ₹36,950 crore of the company's dues into equity, Mint reported.
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